still 1500 people in fremont without power. we'll update you on efforts to get the power restored. have a great day. ♪ (música) ♪ tough talk. president obama vows the u.s. will respond to russia's efforts to interfere with the u.s. election. >> we need to take action and we will at a time and place of you our own choosing. >> but with only 34 days left in his presidency, what will that response look like, and what will it mean for america's delicate relationship with moscow? dessert disaster. a canned whipped cream shortage right in the thick of the holiday season. this morning, what's behind it and why it could be weeks before

shelves are stocked again. and seeing green. the seattle seahawks clinch another division title dominating the l.a. rams with an impressive win. but it is those bright neon uniforms that are being called an epic fail "today," friday, december 16th, 2016. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a friday morning. am i the only guy who didn't mind those uniforms? >> you needed sunglasses to watch the game. but okay. >> anyway, how about this weather? that cross-country deep freeze is where we're going to begin this morning. 18 degrees right outside our window on plaza. 18 degrees as well down in washington, d.c. our nation's capital. >> if you head down to chicago, even colder. we've got 14 degrees there, and

can we check out portland, maine, for a second? minus 1 but it feels like minus 22. >> but it is beautiful. it doesn't matter. we'll get to our forecast and al's forecast in a moment. but first, nbc's blake mccoy all bundled up in the windy city. blake, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. it's difficult to be outside for more than a few minutes. i have two pairs of gloves on, several layers of clothes, and we are expecting this one-two arctic punch to stretch into the weekend. this morning for so much of the country, the arctic temperatures are brutal and sticking around. >> this is cold! >> it's just terrible out here. >> reporter: that frigid air will combine with more snow today and into the weekend for the northern half of the country. millions bracing for another messy morning commute. in pennsylvania, i-80 is back open after white-out conditions led to this 59-car pile-up thursday. in cleveland, demands to clear the snow-covered roads faster.

>> we pay our taxes. we deserve service. >> reporter: while in portland, oregon, already crippled by snow and ice, they're trying to thaw out. >> look out! >> reporter: after this school bus was sent sliding this week, kids used their snow days to take out sleds and slide past it. ♪ christmas is just over a week away with more bad weather coming. shoppers in chicago are not deterred. what in the world are you thinking doing your christmas shopping today? >> it has to get done some time and i won't sleep if i don't get something done. so it's panic. called panic. >> reporter: heating centers are open here in chicago this morning. you can see that snow on the ground behind me. we are about to get even more of it. temperatures are going to warm up just a bit later today. guys?

>> get inside, blake, thank you very much. outside walking my dog this morning, freezing cold. we've got dave price in for al roker to talk all about it. >> hey, dave. >> hey, dave price. >> it's a rough morning through a lot of places all across the country, especially right here in the northeast along the i-95 corridor. you want bad? how about a windchill of 86 below zero at the mount washington observatory? it is going to be a tough go. windchills and advisories, warnings for 25 million people across the country. and the temperatures are just awful but it is the windchills that are the worst. 28 below in places like caribou, 7 in detroit, 2 below in minneapolis. that's just the beginning of what will be a stretch of bad weather. we also have a storm system beginning to work its way across the country stretching from the rockies all the way into the plains working its way towards the east coast. a possibility of some severe thundershower activity as we head to saturday in the lower mississippi valley. we'll keep an eye open for that.

then snow and rain as we head into the northeast through the weekend. keep in mind we could get up to six to ten inches of snow in places like minneapolis. it is going to be a rough 72 hours. back to you. >> dave, see you in a couple of minutes. thanks very much. also this morning, president obama is vowing to take action against russia after u.s. intelligence determined vladimir putin had a direct hand in an effort to disrupt our presidential election. we have complete coverage starting with nbc's kristen welker at the white house. hi, kristen, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, matt. president-elect trump hasn't yet said how or if he will respond to mounting evidence russia intervened in the u.s. presidential election but the current commander in chief is set to hold one of his final news conferences here at the white house today and is now rebuking russia in its strongest terms yet, even promising action. overnight, president obama vowing to retaliate against russia.

>> i think there's no doubt that when any foreign government tries to impact the integrity of our elections, that we need to take action and we will at a time and place of our own choosing. some of it may be explicit and publicized. some of it may not be. >> reporter: those strong words coming one day after nbc news first reported u.s. intelligence officials believe vladimir putin was personally involved in russia's attempt to interfere in the presidential election. a putin spokesperson calling the report "laughable nonsense," but in an interview with npr, president obama suggesting this is no laughing matter. >> mr. putin is well aware of my feelings about this because i spoke to him directly about it. >> reporter: meanwhile, president-elect trump for the first time isn't disputing russian involvement. instead, training his fire on the current administration tweeting thursday before the obama announcement "if russia or some other entity was hacking, why did the white house wait so long to act? why did they only complain after

hillary lost?" the administration noting it did sound alarms about russia's involvement in october and slamming into trump for seeming to encourage russia to hack clinton's e-mails as a candidate. >> russia, if you're listening, i hope you're able to find the 30,000 e-mails that are missing. >> reporter: while mr. trump later said he was being sarcastic, white house press secretary john earnest took aim thursday. >> nobody at the white house thinks it's funny that an adversary of the united states engaged in malicious cyber activity to destabilize our democracy. >> reporter: trump firing back last night during a rally in pennsylvania. >> although this foolish guy, josh earnest -- i don't know if he's talking to president obama -- you know, having the right press secretary is so important. because he is so bad the way he delivers a message. >> reporter: also this morning been new questions about potential conflict of interest

surrounding trump's children. trump aides hinting ivanka trump and her husband, jared kushner, could join the new administration saying ivanka trump is already calling members of congress to get the ball rolling for child care and paid family leave. while anti-nepotism laws prevent appointing family members to virtually all government jobs, a top trump advisor arguing there may be an exception for staffers. >> president does have discretion to choose a staff of his liking. >> reporter: also thursday, president-elect trump made david friedman as his nominee for ambassador to israel. friedman, a bankruptcy lawyer, has represented trump in the past. he's also been an advocate for policies aligned with the israeli far right that break with decades of american policy there. as for mr. trump, he will end his day in orlando with yet another thank you rally. matt, hoda? >> kristen welker at the white house, thank you. so how are the russians and vladimir putin responding? nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel is in moscow this morning.

richard, hello. >> reporter: good morning. this is an escalation from president obama. he's not just accusing president vladimir putin of being involved in the hack, but saying that there will be some sort of retaliation. and if obama's going to oversee that retaliation, he doesn't have a lot of time. but here in moscow, officials don't seem to be taking it very seriously. president vladimir putin is in japan. his spokesman, however, said today that the u.s. either has to present its evidence, stop talking about this, or else it all just looks very indecent. a spokeswoman for the foreign ministry told nbc news that the threats from president obama are against international law and american law. i must say that here in moscow, while no one is admitting that russia was involved, officials at the kremlin do seem to be quite satisfied that there was all of this anger, all of this confusion as the cia is

struggling to make its case and now these comments from president obama. >> richard engel in moscow, thank you. let us bring in this guy right here, chuck todd. chuck, ben carten senator said whether you attack us with a mig or a mouse, it is an attack. here's what the president had to say. "we'll respond pat a time and place of our own choosing, some may be explicit and publicized. some may not be." what are his options? >> he doesn't have a lot of options. some of them are to do something very public, which, you know, is either show the evidence, have the great moment where you show almost like a perry mason moment and, you know, prove the connection there. the other is to expose him financially. show how interconnected he may be with maybe dirty money. there is a lot of people we've been talking to that indicate that certainly the united states is looking at that. but i have to tell you, i think he's got to do something big and public if he wants it to have an impact before he leaves office. >> yeah.

>> does it have to be a response in kind? does a cyber attack warrant a cyber attack in response? >> well, this has been what they have been debating for three months, matt. they've been wringing their hands because they've been worried about a tit for tat. they've been worried do they do cyber? do they respond sort of in an equal way. well, then does that okay the idea of cyber? during the cold war there was this acceptance that, okay, you're going to spy on us a little bit. if this is an accepted form of espionage now going forward, it becomes more dangerous. there is actually a hesitation on the u.s. part not to use cyber. so it is -- i say handcuffed is an understatement. >> it is supposed to be the end of the obama administration's time. so whatever president obama does it is going to wind up on trump's plate. do these two guys need to pow wow and get together before anyone makes a move, do you think? >> donald trump has to accept the intelligence briefing before i think they can see eye to eye. look, there is some political

pressure that can be exerted on trump to essentially conform to this or believe the intelligence. that is if he wants to get a secretary of state confirmed, rex tillerson. i think the more he sort of avoids or pushes back against this evidence, the more you're going to have a john mccain, lindsey graham, republicans saying, what are you doing? they'll use -- they'll use tillerson to punish trump. >> just for the whole campaign, he said it is going to be america first, we're going to be tougher on our adversaries. you can't now get this kind of information, this kind of intelligence, and do nothing about it. >> no. it would be extraordinarily weak. that's why trump simply not believing it, then that pushes back the response maybe months, maybe longer than that. so i do think president obama feels pressure to do this. i just don't know if he can do anything that has an impact that donald trump essentially won't rescind. >> chuck, thank you. good to see you. again, we'll hear more about this from president obama during an afternoon news conference. you can see coverage of that on

most nbc stations. meantime, a federal jury took less than two hours to convicted man behind the deadly shooting at an historic church in charleston, south carolina. dylann roof found guilty on all 33 counts he faces. this morning families of victims are preparing for the next phase of the trial. nbc's gabe gutierrez has the latest. gabe, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. this case is not over. a highly unusual move, dylann roof now says he wants to represent himself during sentencing, coming face to face with these families again. this morning, dylann roof is facing the possibility of the death penalty after a jury wasted little time finding him guilty of 33 federal counts, including hate crimes. >> i wasn't expecting anything less. i knew it was going to be guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty. felicia sanders is one of just three survivors at the

charleston emanuel ame church. she testified how she watched roof murder her 26-year-old son as she clutched her granddaughter under a table. >> i don't think many mothers ever see their son come in and leave the world, so that was very painful for me. >> reporter: for her husband, anger against roof is even more raw. >> my thoughts were, if i can get to him, what would i do. but the lord kept me from charging or attempting to charge him. >> reporter: during closing arguments, the prosecutor raised his voice in anger calling roof a man of tremendous cowardice who shot his victims while they prayed. >> he's still in here. i'm afraid. he's still in here. >> reporter: as another survivor called 911, other victims tried to stop the carnage. these nine people exemplified a goodness that was greater than his message of hate, the prosecutor said. the defense never disputed the horrific details but tried to bring up roof's mental state. for the son of reverend daniel simmons was shot at least six times, roof's motivation means

little. >> he thought he was starting a race war, but look at what love conquered. look at the unity and how charleston came together. >> reporter: judge warned dylann roof that it was a bad decision to represent himself during sentencing. but the 22-year-old decided to do it anyway. he has until january 3rd to change his mind. matt and hoda? >> gabe gutierrez, thank you so much. the red cross is now saying the evacuation of aleppo is going to take several more days. overnight new convoys of ambulances, vans and buses were seen leaving that war ravaged city. nbc's chief global correspondent bill neely has made his way inside syria. bill, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, guys. another dramatic day here in syria, and more heartbreaking scenes. but right from the start, and for the most innocent among them, that evacuation didn't go according to plan.

as they fled aleppo's ruins, one final trauma. children shot at. it was meant to be a cease-fire, yet still gunmen targeted them as they left the rebel-held east. their terror was clear. their mothers close. nearby, more children escaping with no parents. these are orphans of the war. 47 of them evacuated after pleading with the world to let them out. and they were defiant. "we're leaving aleppo," he says. "but when we grow up, we'll be back to liberate it." from their orphanage they begged for their freedom, led by this 11-year-old. "we're scared," she says. "get us out." nbc news has been following their ordeal for months. in august, two months into the syrian army's siege of aleppo, jasmine is playing. but her teachers told us she was

traumatized. her parents killed by an air strike. the following month she told us, when there's bombing, i hide under a blanket. i'm scared. i want to have my father, to see my mom. when i put my head on my pillow, i read my father prayers. in october, it got worse. the orphans forced to hide underground. the siege tightening. now after six months, it's over. jasmine and all her friends leaving aleppo and their bullet-ridden orphanage. gunfire as they went. the orphans were part of a huge convoy. thousands evacuated as the city fell to president assad's forces. the biggest rebel defeat so far. but not the end of a war. but for some its youngest victims, it's lasted a lifetime. the orphans are safe this morning but they are in another rebel-held area which president

assad has vowed to recapture. so their trauma may not be over yet. back to you guys. >> bill neely reporting on this story for us, thank you very much. tributes are pouring in for legendary sportscaster craig sager. known for his vivid personality and flamboyant wardrobe. he died thursday after battling cancer for more than two years. he spent most of his sideline at the sidelines of nba games, so across the league last night players honored him by lining up in "sager strong" t-shirts and other colorful attire. teams also paused for a moment of silence. but in oakland, golden state warriors coach steve kerr who actually worked with sager for a decade before going into coaching wanted something different. listen. >> we thought it would be more appropriate given the way craig lived his life and the joy that he brought to so many people to have a moment of joy instead. so i'd like all of you to join

me in an applause for a great man and a life well lived. thank you. >> sager was inducted into the sports broadcasting hall of fame just last week. he was 65 years old. he is survived by his wife and five children. >> what a beautiful, beautiful tribute. that little moment. wow. beautiful. dave price. >> our condolences, by the way, to his family. >> dave is in for al. hey, dave. >> hey, how are you? you all right? >> i'm freezing. and so are many people across the country right now. let's go to the map and see what's happening all across the usa today. looks like snow is spreading across from the rockies all the way to the great lakes, headed towards the northeast. it is cold in the northeast with windchills in the single digits to below zero. good time to be in the sunshine state where there is lots of sun and temperatures are ten degrees above the norm. that's a quick look at our national maps. we'll get to your local weather in just about 30 seconds.

. good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. the storm system we had yesterday is out of here. clear skies but temperatures are dropping, only 45 degrees now in the tri-valley, 43 in the north bay, and san francisco 48 degrees. highs this afternoon not much warmer from where we are. reaching 52 in the tri-valley, 53 in the peninsula and south bay. lower 50s also for san francisco with breezy winds. we will at least have some sunshine. >> that's a quick look at your weather, folks. >> tweets pouring in from del boca vista.

that's great. thank you. coming up, why president-elect trump is facing calls to give up his glamorous new hotel in washington and his new twist in the legal battle of a celebrity chef that bailed on that project. coming up on "rossen reports," can this device literally sniff out the freshness in your meat, poultry or fish if your fridge?

coming up, alicia keys. a live performance. >> all after your local news. can't wait.

when you have a cold, pain from chest congestion can make this... feel like this. all-in-one cold symptom relief from tylenol®, the #1 doctor recommended pain relief brand. tylenol® after 40 years of making chicken soup at progresso, we've learned a thing or two. ok actually, just one thing: chicken is king.

and so we are now using 100% antibiotic and hormone free chicken in all our chicken soups! because majestic chicken soup starts with majestic chicken. long live chicken! majestic broth also starts with majestic chicken. now ours is made from 100% antibiotic and hormone free chicken.

a very good morning to you. it's 7:26. i'm laura garcia-cannon. serious storm-related damage in the north bay. take's bob redell live in san anselmo live to explain exactly what happened there. good morning, bob. >> reporter: here at 97 magnolia stre street. you look all the ways that this large oak tree could have fallen, it's dumb luck the way it fell the way it did. it missed the house but destroyed the garage that used to be sitting here. no one was hurt. it did destroy a white mercedes there in the garage, another one down the street and a third mercedes that possibly totaled. hard to tell. at one point it was draped across the street up this embankment but tree cutter crews

came through last night and cut this section out. this happened before 10:00 last night. this is part of the storm. it took out power lines, a waterline. the evacuations are done. right now pg&e is trying to restore power to 300 people here. live in san anselmo, bob redell, nbc bay area news. >> that will be quite the cleanup. in the meantime, quite a cold forecast for today. >> now we get ready for the skies to clear and cold air to move in, we're already seeing the temperatures drop. here is a live look outside at the embarcadero in san francisco. it's 50 degrees and heading into the lower 50s today. the storm system is out of here. great news, dry and cool weather for the weekend. let's check in with mike for a look at this morning's commute. >> the commute very light on the roadways. look at this great flow of traffic. slow in oakland and getting toward the bay bridge. looking at the b.a.r.t. system, still in recovery mode, maybe delays through the entire system because of track problems

outside of bayfair. those problems have been allayed. we'll get you back to the "today" show.

♪ 7:30 now on this friday morning, 16th of december, 2016. it is just about 18 degrees out on our plaza. feels even colder because there's a breeze in the air. we just want to turn around and say thank you to all of these people who got here early. i got some nasty stares back. we're going to get outside and say hi to those people in a little while. by the way, the brutal cold starts our check of the headlines. millions of people will see temperatures at or below freezing today. another concern is that winter storm. it's hammered oregon already, it is pressing east with significant snow expected in the midwest. president obama is promising

the u.s. will take action against russia for its suspected interference in our presidential election. he didn't say what that response would be but he said it would come at "a time and place of our own choosing." the president has also warned u.s. intelligence agencies to conduct a full review of the cyber attacks before inauguration day january 20th. new tributes for former astronaut, senator and american hero, john glenn are being held today. his body will lie in state at ohio's capitol building this afternoon. a public memorial service will be held tomorrow at ohio state university where vice president joe biden and former president bill clinton are expected to speak. also this morning, president-elect trump is facing more scrutiny over his brand-new luxury hotel in washington. mr. trump is now being ordered to appear at a deposition in a lawsuit he's filed against the celebrity chef. there are also questions over whether trump can even keep the hotel once is he president. nbc's tom costello is there. tom, good morning. >> reporter: hoda, good morning

to you. so mr. trump is actually leasing this hotel space from the federal government. now he is suing celebrity chef, jose andres, who has supposed to have a restaurant inside the hotel but pulled out after mr. trump's comments on mexican immigrants. just as there are questions about mr. trump, soon to be president, can continue to lease this hotel space if he is both the landlord, the president, and a tenant. it is the biggest, boldest new landmark in the nation's capital. a $200 million makeover with the president-elect's name all over it. >> it is an amazing. probably the best location. one of the most sought-after projects. >> reporter: but the president-elect is in a legal battle with "celebrity chef" jose andres. he a suing him for reneging on a deal to open a restaurant in the hotel after trump made these comments about mexican immigrants. >> they're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists. >> reporter: trump sued andres

and another chef for pulling out of the deal. adres countersued. a d.c. judge has denied the judge and ordered trump to appear. meanwhile, another problem. the hotel is the old historic post office pavilion. so the question is can the president lease the hotel from himself. >> the 60-year lease will be breached the moment he steps in to the oval office unless he completely divested his ownership interests. >> reporter: house democrats say officials at the general services administration, which controls the lease, have said trump will breach the terms of the lease unless he divests. but the gsa tells nbc news it hasn't yet taken a position on whether trump would be in violation. they are waiting for details on trump plans to handle all of his business dealings. still, democrats point to the lease itself which reads, no

elected official of the government of the united states should be admitted to any share or part of this lease. but trump wasn't an elected official when he signed the lease. documents filed with the federal election commission show trump has a 76% ownership stake. documents show three of his children have a 7% state. stake. just this week daughter ivan ka was promoting the hotel on instagram. among the concerns, will foreign diplomats feel compelled to stay at the hotel? >> if foreign governments want to say there, now they have a pipeline to literally enriching the president of the united states and currying favor with him. >> reporter: the trump team has not yet commented about this controversy involving the lease. meanwhile, the chef involved in this dispute, jose andres has suggested he and trump drop their lawsuits and instead donate to veterans. the trump team has not yet responded to that particular offer. guys, back to you. >> tom costello, thanks so much. what do you say we get another check of the weather for

dave price who is in for al. >> got some relatively good news to talk about right now. we'll go to the west coast at this point. take a look at what's happening there. this is not a drought buster but it is some rain and that will help out. it is much needed. keep in mind where there's good there's bad. there are some watches in effect, particularly around flash flooding issues. that's in burn scar areas where you had so many forest fires. we could see rainfall rates upwards of a half-inch an hour. doesn't sound like a lot but when the land can't absorb that rain you have some trouble so just keep that in mind. what we may see. the rest of the country through the day, snow spreads from the rockies through the great lakes. we have nice weather, beautiful weather, much warmer than normal through sections of the southwest, texas, new mexico. florida is looking good and the northeast is locked in a freezer. that's a quick look at the national maps. here is an early look at wha

good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. the rain is out of here. we will have some sunshine but also a day to bundle up as it stays breezy and cooler air diving in. 60 degrees in oakland and san francisco. 49 in san jose, though the winds still at about 20 to 25 miles an hour. highs only reaching the low 50s today, much cooler than average. we will see this continuing through the rest of the weekend. >> that's a quick look at your national weather. don't forget, saturday night, football action. it is the jets and the dolphins in east rutherford, new jersey. cloudy, mild, about 45 degrees. you can catch all of the action on the nfl network. should be a good game. guys? >> dave, thank you very much. just ahead, your favorite holiday cakes and pies. but without that great whipped cream on top. the shortage causing some dessert lovers to panic. how about this?

how fresh is your food? >> good morning, i'm jeff rossen. coming up, you are in your fridge wondering how long is this meat in here? is this still good? this product called the foodsniffer says it can tell you by sniffing your food. we're trying it out on fish, and ground beef next. when a cold calls...

achoo! ...answer it. with zicam cold remedy. it shortens colds, so you get better, faster. colds are gonna call. answer them with zicam! zicam. get your better back. now in great tasting crystals. kisses deluxe chocolates. with a whole roasted hazelnut, delicate crisps and layers of rich, creamy chocolate, they're twice the size of the kisses chocolates you love. say more with kisses deluxe.

drum roll please.hing. it's the sing sweepstakes. it's some of this, loads of that. 'cause you can win $100,000 from post cereal brands. honey bunches of oats. and sing. only in theaters

and i switched to sprint for their network. but get this, sprint has this crazy deal on their new unlimited plan with the 3rd, 4th, and 5th line for free. yep - unlimited data, talk and text for your whole crew. (vo) and now, buy one samsung galaxy s7, for people with hearing loss, get one free. visit sprintrelay.com because there's only one thing a family shouldel, have to worry about. me. you said it. go to stjude.org or shop where you see the st. jude logo. you totanobody's hurt, new car. but there will still be pain. it comes when your insurance company says they'll only pay three-quarters of what it takes to replace it. what are you supposed to do? drive three-quarters of a car? now if you had liberty mutual new car replacement™,

you'd get your whole car back. i guess they don't want you driving around on three wheels. smart. with liberty mutual new car replacement™, we'll replace the full value of your car. liberty stands with you™. liberty mutual insurance. back at 7:41. rounding out a week-long "rossen reports" series, "does it work." >> this morning, it is a new kitchen gadget. i think we talked about this on "trending" one morning. >> that's where we got the idea. you guys were talking about it. we went to go test it. it is america's favorite guessing game, you go into your fridge, you wonder if that meat or fish or chicken is spoiled. when it doubt, most of us throw it out. matt still cooks it. most of us throw it out. it is a huge waste of money. but this morning a new gadget claims it can actually tell if

that meat is still good in just seconds just by sniffing it. but does it work? before you buy it, we're trying it out. >> introducing foodsniffer, a break-through in modern food safety. >> reporter: it sounds great. >> foodsniffer is an electronic sensing device that can advise you instantly if the meat, fish or poultry you are about to serve your family is safe to eat. >> reporter: after hearing about it, we even got excited here at "today." >> it is called "the foodsniffer. >> if it works, that's good. >> reporter: savannah, you wondered so let's find out. i'm going grocery shopping. salmon from the seafood counter. buying fish. meat. >> ground beef. >> reporter: and, of course, poultry. i'm just back from the grocery store. i have the foodsniffer right here. as you can see, i put each one into its own container because that's how the foodsniffer works.

the gases from the meats build up inside the container, and that's what the sniffer sniffs. we're going to start right over here with the meat. by the way, there is an app. you download it on your phone. we've calibrated it. i'm going to open the container up. hover it right here. and it's sniffing. we have is the results right here. it came out as fresh. we know that's true because we just bought it from the store. our chicken and salmon come out fresh, too. the sniffer nails it. but, now the real question. how will the sniffer do when the food's been sitting out. the usda says raw meat should never sit out for more than two hours because bacteria may grow and produce toxins that can make you sick. so we let our meat sit, and sit, and sit, for just over two hours. we try it again. >> going to put it in here. take our sample. we have a verdict. the sniffer says the ground beef is fresh. but remember, it's not fresh. it's been sitting out here for hours. it says our chicken is still

fresh, too. nbc medical contributor dr. john torres says -- no. you definitely shouldn't eat it. >> two hours unrefrigerated, after that time no matter what it says, throw that meat out. >> reporter: but what about that salmon? >> it is saying the salmon should be cooked well. sample analysis indicates that the spoilage process in the fish has already begun. if you choose to eat the fish, ensure that it is thoroughly cooked. but the usda says that's a no-no, too. toxins that are heat resistant can't be cooked out. so what will happen if we leave everything out for five hours? here we go. >> um, this meat is coming back as fresh. it's been five hours. it is saying the chicken is fresh, too. this is nuts. >> reporter: as for the salmon -- >> okay. it is saying the fish is spoiled. happy to see that. the fish is officially spoiled. >> reporter: the company that makes the food sniffer telling nbc news many factors affect how

quickly food spoils and the usda provides guidance on how consumers should behave in most common situations with extra precaution. but it is not a holy grail. but many doctors disagree. >> the foodsniffer is a fun gadget to play around with but those guidelines are there for a reason. >> by the way, the foodsniffer, not cheap. it sells for $130. we left the meat out for 24 hours. came back the next morning, it stunk to high heaven, but everything came back spoiled on the foodsniffer. >> when you smelled it after five hours. >> it was disgusting. yucky. >> you said that you would -- if you had left something out for two hours, would you think that is spoiled? >> if you go grocery shopping, you throw it in the car, you run for other errands. you get home -- you think it is fine. >> jeff, thank you. coming up on "popstart!" the surprising things oscar winner denzel washington just revealed

to fans in a session of "ask me anything." don't stare directly at them. carson is checking out the reaction from those brightly colored uniforms. right after this. both smel l go. i like b better. i prefer b. b. i would like to smell like this every day. but what was body wash a? ohhhh i love bath and bodyworks. i have this in my bathroom. and what was the one they preferred? ohhhh. this is suave. really? that's quite a bit of smelling good. suave three fragrances preferred over bath and body works. [ nualmost... there...tal ] hmmmm... save ten when you spend fifty on toys at target. you guys rock! yeah!... whoaaa! fortified.tored.

replenished. emerge everyday with emergen-c packed with b vitamins, antioxidants, electrolytes plus more vitamin c than 10 oranges. why not feel this good everyday? emerge and see. we rely on our courage. the kind of courage that shows up when we need it... and when cancer is least expecting it. courage. just one reason more of us are surviving cancer than dying from it. give now to the american cancer society. 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. it's baking season. warm up with pillsbury. right now at lowe's.ift of huge holiday deals like this kobalt 35-piece double drive screwdriver set for only $19.99. plus get this dewalt 20-volt max cordless drill for only $99. save big on everything you need to make your home happy, right now at lowe's. only abreva can heal it in as few as two and a half days when used at the first sign. it penetrates deep and starts to work immediately to block the virus and protect healthy cells.. don't tough it out, knock it out, fast. abreva. we catch flo, the progressive girl, at the supermarket buying cheese. scandal alert! flo likes dairy?! woman: busted! [ laughter ] right afterwards we caught her riding shotgun with a mystery man. oh, yeah! [ indistinct shouting ] is this your chauffeur? what?! no, i was just showing him how easy it is to save

with snapshot from progressive. you just plug it in and it gives you a rate based on your driving. does she have insurance for being boring? [ light laughter ] laugh bigger. [ laughter ] pain from a headache can when make this...old, feel like this. all-in-one cold symptom relief from tylenol®, the #1 doctor recommended pain relief brand. tylenol® i'and thanks to target, i got to the after party - this nice little outfit just in time using order pickup. stay fresh! get last minute gifts with order pickup at target. ♪ ♪ and off you go, ♪ ♪ ♪ and off you go, ♪

♪ ♪ and off you go, ♪ for every step, every stride, every start, begin strong with the lasting energy of 100% whole grain quaker oats... and off you go. start by taking care of families for 70 years. earn the trust of 32 nfl teams. be there for america's toughest and help, when help is needed america's #1 isn't a status earned overnight. it's earned in every wash, and re-earned every day. tide, america's #1 detergent we are in the orange room with carson. what are people saying about the neon green? >> people are talking about the nfl. what they're doing this year,

they have a color rush campaign where players are sporting a single signature color for select games to create more of a vivid look on the field. we think "vivid" might have been a bit of an understatement as the seahawks wore those uniforms last night. social media quick to pounce. wendy writing in, live look at the seahawks huddle. jim posting this one, saying behind the scenes making of seahawks color rush uniforms, homer simpson there. even the "sunday night football" team getting in on the action. in case the lights go out, we are good to go. uniforms sparking comparisons, everything from highlighters and doublemint gum. the riddler here. if you remember before, the dolphins wore their orange and they got compared to cream sickles. this sunday night, uniforms go back to normal as you with watching the buccaneers take on the cowboys right here on nbc. matt, you said you like the

green. >> i think for one game, i like them. i'm with you. i thought it was fun. >> i think we have a story coming up, carson, just for you. about you raiders fans. >> we're fine people. just ahead, a star-studded hour. reese witherspoon, matthew that was invigorating! you're probably wondering why i've just carved a giant wooden tiger. well, the answer is that a real one would maul me. i've crafted dr. whiskers here as a visual aid to show you that should you visit the lot, carmax associates will not pounce like tigers because people don't like that. come here to buy a car. dr. whiskers won't pounce. nobody will. ♪

after washing apply and rinse 24 hours of moisture with no sticky feel. then get dressed and go. delight your senses with in-shower cocoa butter. available in the body lotion aisle. available in the body lotion aisle. sure, you could sit around all night waiting for a pizza to be delivered. but wouldn't making it yourself be a lot more fun? it's baking season.

warm up with pillsbury. (vo) it's the holidays at verizon, and the best deals are on the best network. with no surprise overages, you can use your data worry free and even carry over the data you don't use. and right now get four lines and 20 gigs for only $40 per line. you'll even get the iphone 7, the samsung galaxy s7, the pixel phone by google, or the motoz droid absolutely free. hurry, these offers end soon. get the best deals and the best network, only on verizon. [cellphone ring] uh oh, should have put that phone on silent. luckily, jay chews trident to help clean and protect his teeth, so he can hide his guilt with a convincing grin. that's it jay, they'll never know. trident. cherish your teeth.

good friday morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. now skies are clearing, the rain moving well east of the bay area. we will have several days to dry out. mao the cool air is moving in. it's only 43 degrees in santa rosa. 49 in san jose and mid 50s, mid 40s pour the tri-valley. highs only reaching 52 in palo alto, concord and livermore. it will be up to 51 in san francisco, more of that cool air in the forecast reaching the upper 50s by the middle of next week. dealing with frost and freezing conditions towards the inland valleys. how is it looking on the roads and rails? >> overall, light volume of traffic. roads are great. we do have a delay on the b.a.r.t. due to earlier problems at bayfair. the build toward the bay bridge, i want to show you this. this is just off 580. there's a fire reported off the

area. let me show you our view from the emeryville camera. we have black smoke from the emeryville camera off 580 and the richmond-san rafael bridge. we'll get you back to the map, it will cause distraction for folks heading over across the richmond-san rafael bridge, possibly viewable from the north bay. it's not having effect on the eastshore freeway. >> let's jump back to that live picture we have of the fire burning in richmond. look at the thick black smoke billowing into the air. this is a salvage yard fire at richmond parkway and gertrude. the business we understand is beal auto wrecking. it's one of the wrecking yards, like a pick-a-part type place. the fire is burning massively. it could be tough for firefighters to fight with the wind in the air. we'll bring you the latest on nbcbayarea.com as well.

it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, the frozen states of america. bitter cold temperatures and a powerful storm blanket much of the country. more than 200 million people feeling the effects. so when will it end? we've got your forecast. plus, santa's little helpers. >> one, two, three -- >> merry christmas! >> hoda enlists the help of kids to make some very special holiday wishes come true. and the stars are out in studio 1a. oscar winners reese witherspoon and matthew mcconaughey swing by to chat about their new animated movie you'll be singing along

to. and 15-time grammy winner alicia keys treats us to a special live performance "today," friday, december 16th, 2016. ♪ merry christmas, canton, michigan! >> woo! >> we're here to celebrate arianna's 6th birthday. >> happy holidays from the "today" show! it's 8:00 now on this friday morning. it is the 16th day of december. it is feeling like the 16th day of december. temperatures, 18 degrees out on

our plaza. this is one of those times where we walk out and we said, you know, it is not all that bad. but these people have been standing out here since about 5:30 this morning. >> you guys are awesome! >> they're fired up. >> yeah, they are. we got some marshall fans from west virginia over here. thundering herd. >> the big easy over here. well, guys, alicia keys, our grammy winning friend from our show "the voice" is here getting ready to treat us to a live performance. we are excited about that. >> you're shaking. >> i'm freezing. you're going to have some recipes to warm us up, ideal for staying inside, cozying up and watching football. we've got a lot to get to. let us get a check of the morning's top stories. here is the news at 8:00. much of the country in the middle of one-two polar punch. good morning to you, i'm blake

mccoy from chicago where actual air temperatures are in the teens. it feels closer to zero this morning. these temperatures though are not stopping salvation army bell ringers as we are just over a week away from christmas. folks are braving these temperatures to finish their holiday shopping. as this arctic air moves east, even places like new york and washington, d.c. waking up to temperatures in the teens this morning. when you couple these cold temperatures with snow, you get messy conditions on the road. i-80 has re-opened after a 59-car pile-up yesterday. this is northeast of pittsburgh. there were several injuries. thankfully, no deaths though. and more snow is expected today for the upper midwest. ohio and cleveland, they're going to be seeing more snow but they are still digging out of the snow they received yesterday. we'll get a second blast of cold air later this weekend. there is that weekend song, "i

can't feel my face when i'm with you," matt, this morning, i cannot feel my face when i'm with you. >> don't even try to sing it, blake. thank you very much. in other news, president obama holds his final news conference of the year, most likely the final one of his presidency. it happens at the white house today. russia's alleged cyber espionage of the 2016 presidential election probably going to be a hot topic. speaking to npr this morning, the president vowed the united states would retaliate "at a time and place of our own choosing." u.s. intelligence officials tell nbc news that the hacking directed by president vladimir putin began as a vendetta against hillary clinton, and then expanded to create chaos in the election process. the kremlin calls the accusation laughable. now to close calls for passengers on two jetliners. a southwest airlines flight from chicago to las vegas had to return to midway airport thursday after it struck a bird and the pilot declared an

emergency. an allegiant to florida made an emergency landing in rockford, illinois after pilots were forced to shut down an engine after a bird strike. one passenger called it very scary and said she grabbed her daughter and started praying. passengers and crews on both planes were okay. very scary. coming up, what facebook is doing to fight fake news. and then sharing kindness and spreading holiday cheer. hoda and her elves making christmas wishes come true. it is a great story you'll want to see. and, we have matthew mcconaughey, reese witherspoon and our

just fifteen minutes and a little imagination are all you need to make holiday magic. chex party mix. it's what the holidays are made of. i'm about to pop a cap of "mmm fresh" in that washer with unstopables in-wash scent boosters by downy. because this scent lasts up to 12 weeks, which is longer than any relationship i've ever been in. freshness for weeks!

hi, we(laughter)lford quads. we're in 8th grade. technology is the only thing that really entertains us. i'm gonna use this picture on sketchbook, and i'm going to draw mustaches on you all. using the pen instead of fingers, it just feels more comfortable for me. be like, boop! it's gone. i like that only i can get into it and that it recognizes my fingerprint. our old tablet couldn't do that. it kind of makes you feel like you're your own person, which is a rare opportunity in my family. (laughter) but when we brought our daughter home, that was it. now i have nicoderm cq. the nicoderm cq patch with unique extended release technology helps prevent your urge to smoke all day. it's the best thing that ever happened to me. every great why needs a great how. grandma is so happy to be here

for your very first christmas. i hear you're quite the expert at waking people up in the morning. let me show you how grandma does it. your daddy made this when he was a little boy. this is your dad at my house, where he had his first christmas. thanks for making the coffee. well look who's up. i'm really glad you're here mom. me too. look who's here! try theraflu expressmax,nd flu hold you back now in new caplets. it's the only cold & flu caplet that has a maximum strength formula with a unique warming sensation you instantly feel. theraflu. for a powerful comeback. new expressmax caplets. does your child need help with digestive balance? try align junior probiotic. so she can have a fraction dominating... status updating... hello-yellow-belt kind of day. get 24/7 digestive support with align junior. the #1 doctor recommended probiotic brand, now for kids.

i get to hang out with big shots like her, whoa and them! and i, megazord, get to tell you that you can find all of the hottest movie heroes at toys"r"us. buy one get one 40% off power rangers, star wars, disney moana, and more! toys"r"us. awwwesome! so, how much longer do you think this will take? i'll over-explain the process, then give you an unrealistic timeline. i'll nod in agreement so my wife thinks i understand what you're saying. i look forward to questioning your every move. okay, well i'll leave your house in shambles and disappear for six months. wouldn't it be great if everyone said what they meant? the citi® double cash card does. it lets you earn double cash back: 1% when you buy, and 1% as you pay. the citi double cash card. double means double.

it is now 8:09 which makes it a really good, chilly time to "trend." you ready? here's something you're going to see popping up on your facebook feed soon. after catching a lot of flack for the rampant spread of fake news on that social network, facebook thinks it has a solution. here's what's going to happen. users will now be able to flag links in their feed as fake news. now if a particular item is flagged enough, it will then be checked by a third party site and eventually tagged with an alert saying that it is disputed. some people are raising issues with this method questioning whether it will affect free speech and also how satire sites are going to be affected. but do you like the first step, at least the move? >> something's got to be done. because people are believing everything that they read. the difference will be how are they going to differentiate between fake news and what's highly editorialized.

you can't just like the tone of an article. >> when you see the onion or something that you know is kind of spoofy. yeah. i think sometimes people are confused. >> my dad believes everything he reads. you want some cute video? here is the cutest video you're going to see all day. watch what happens when parents make a little girl's christmas wish of turning her stuffed dog into a real dog come true. >> i tell you. keep your eyes shut, baby. keep your eyes shut. keep your eyes shut. >> that's adorable! >> mommy! mommy! oh, mommy! thank you so much! >> aww! >> thank you so much! he's so cute, mommy! he's so cute!

>> someone, get me kleenex. >> isn't that amazing? tears of joy, baby. >> until she has to walk it on a 9 degree day. she's not going to be so happy. finally, the reddi wip might be missing at your holiday gathering this year. it is because there is a serious whipped cream shortage gripping the nation. it's been traced back to a shortage of -- sorry. i might be too familiar with this. nitrous oxide which as we all know makes the cans of whipped cream function. we'll show you who you to make your own whipped cream at home. siri daly is joining us to show us. >> fear not, america. >> people probably think it is impossible to make. >> it is very easy to make. we make it all the time at home. in fact, i prefer it. >> nitrous oxide is only what propels the whipped cream out of the can. >> all we have is heavy whipping

cream, sugar, and vanilla. that's the three ingredients. >> come on. >> it helps to have the bowl really cold before you do it so put it in the freezer first. >> before you do that -- >> are you nervous? >> can i remind people what happened the last time we put a blender of any kind in your hands? we had an outdoor segment. i ended up walking home with that soup all over me. >> no. this is why i'm right here. >> let it go! let it go. >> it will take a few minutes. >> you almost need more so that the things don't get all over there. >> soft whipped. >> where did it all go? >> i don't know. what is your theory? >> wow. >> all right. >> i think i need a little more

speed. >> what can we kill the time with? >> it's getting there. >> how long does that take? >> couple minutes. >> it is better though. it tastes delicious. >> it tastes like melted vanilla ice cream. >> looks like soup. >> heavy whipping cream. >> oh, my god -- matt stuck his finger in it! >> this is good. tastes like vanilla. siri, you are going to be back to cook. carson, "popstart!." >> blake lively turning a hollywood event into a family affair at the presentation ceremony for his star on the hollywood walk of fame. reynolds was not the only celeb there. with his wife. their two daughters as well. the first time we are seeing the whole family out in public. during his speech the a the ceremony, reynolds giving a special thanks to lively. >> i want to thank my wife, blake, who is sitting right

there, who is everything to me. you are the best thing -- the best thing that has ever happened to me. second only to this star on the hollywood walk of fame. hollywood walk of fame. you make everything better. i mean absolutely everything in my life better. you're given us two of the most incredible children that i could ever hope to have. you've made me the father of my dreams when i thought i only had fun uncle potential. >> i'm going to rip that speech off. saying the exact same thing to you if i should ever be so lucky to get a star. lively gave birth to the family's newest edition two months ago. denzel washington reveals surprising and embarrassing things about himself during his "ask me anything" session. he was asked what he would be doing if he wasn't acting. he said he would probably be working with children recounting his time as a counselor at the ymca. who he would recommend to someone who's never seen his

work, he said "fences." finally, he was asked what's the weirdest situation you found yourself in, to which denzel washington responded probably not being able to find a bathroom in time. we've all been there. finally, toe in i bennett is 90 years old but you wouldn't know it by the way he acts. he's been in show busy near bus nearly 70 years. he says it is too late to retire, he might as well keep singing. but he has yet to sing with beyonce so that's on his bucket list. mr. bennett will join us here in studio 1a on tuesday. tony bennett celebrates 90 at 9:00 p.m. right here on nbc. >> that man's got tons of energy. dave, you got a little check of the weather? >> i sure do. we got another siberian express. it is a byproduct of the polar vortex. you know what? none of that matters. what you need to know is it is cold and it is going to get more

cold. look at these morning windchills and temperatures through the area. if this is a real thermometer reading in bismarck, sunday morning, 28 below. minneapolis, 23 below. and in chicago by the time we get to monday, it is going to feel like it is 14 below. we could break or tie some records as we head through the next several days. this cold air coming and this could be the coldest of those three arctic blasts we've seen over the last week or so. let's take a look and see what's happening around the rest of the country. should be real nice in florida. gulf states look good with temperatures in the 70s. texas and new mexico look nice. little bit of windy condition there. and as we take a look this morning through southern california, you are going to see some rain showers. meanwhile from the rockies all the way to the upper middest wiand upper great lakes, snow continues to spread towards the east. that's going to drcreate a slop weekend here in the northeast through the i-95 corridor.

but for today, it is brutally cold temperatures. a real tough go as you walk out of the house and try and head to work. now, we are looking at the possibility of some severe weather as we head through sections of the lower mississippi valley, as we roll through the weekend. but all in it all, by the time we get through the next 72 hours, things should look a little bit better. that's a quick look at our national maps. good morning. i'm meteorologist carry hall. the rain we had has moved to the east. we're down to 46 in high today only in the low 50s. not much warming today. mostly sunny skies with a breezy wind in san francisco. expect a high of 51 degrees. your national weather. matt, over to you.

what happens when you combine award winning actors and musicians with top animators and a soundtrack that is packed with hits? the answer is a great and fun new movie called "sing." it stars matthew mcconaughey as a koala who's running a singing competition, and reese witherspoon as a singing pig. seriously. take a look. >> you've got a great set of pipes but boring to watch. >> i knew it. >> so, what should i do? i could partner you up with gunter. gunter, where are you? >> yes! yes! this is me! >> hahaha. yeah. >> wait. you want us to sing together? >> yeah. the two of us together, you joking me? we're going to be spicy, no? >> hey, guys, good morning. how are you? good to see you. what are the chances by the end of this interview we've got five and a half, six minutes, that i convince you to sing a couple of lines of "call me maybe."

>> reese is a great singer. >> that's a song you actually tackle in the movie. let it percolate. let it wash over you. i'll get back to you. who wants to take a shot explaining the story line here, the plot? >> the plot? >> yeah. >> okay. the plot. the show must go on. buster moon. this guy who grew up in the theater, wants to keep the theater alive. theater's dying. he comes up with an idea for a singing competition to keep the theater alive. all the animals come together and they're pretty good at it. when they do it for the money it doesn't work but when they do it just for the love of what they do, everything goes well. >> well done, by the way. that's really good. you play a mom. >> yeah. >> a singing pig. what i like about rosita is that she's one of these people who's let her dreams a little go off to the side and the singing brings them back to her. >> yeah. yeah. well, she's had 25 kids.

so she has had to put her dreams on hold. now this singing competition gets her out of the house and getting her remembering she had a live beyond having kids. i think it is a really touching story. i think a lot of moms will relate to it and i think a lot of kids will appreciate their mom more. >> the director of the movie said he liked you for the role of buster moon because he was looking for someone with a voice can be incredibly optimistic. >> i heard optimistic. i didn't hear the word -- what's the word -- annoying. >> what's your history of singing? >> my history of singing? >> yeah. >> showers and car drives and to myself. >> okay. you do sing a little in this movie though. >> in this movie? what are you talking about? >> what song do you sing in here? >> "call me maybe." >> how does that go? >> talking to ashley. watch the movie. it is a much better version. >> turn the sound down. how's that song go, matthew?

♪ ba-da-ba-bum >> i think there are words, actually. now you can sing. you can really sing. because you've played roles and you've won an oscar for a little movie where you actually did a little singing. was it different doing country music for a role than singing pop hits like by taylor swift and taty katy perry? >> definitely. country music was much easier for me. singing taylor's song "shake is off" is really hard. i happened to run into her while i was making the movie. i said i have a new appreciation for how hard she works. she's like, yeah, i work really hard. it's hard. >> what was the song he sang again? >> "call me maybe"? >> call me maybe. >> matthew. matthew. come on. >> it is really a better version in the movie. i promise you. >> give us -- >> 8:22 a.m. version is -- >> not going to be good? is there a bow in us nus to mak movie like this because your

kids can go check it out? >> absolutely. >> i think between the two of us our kids have seen this like 16 times. >> what did they think? >> loved it. they come out, they have a different favorite character every time they come out, they have a different favorite song every time they come out. it happens for me, too, as a parent. i've got a different favorite character when i come out. >> there are so many great messages in the movie about believing in yourself and learning to love your family members and loving what you do and having hopes and dreams. >> while i'm on subject of kids, holidays are here. that's a fun time to have kids, especially the ages you guys do. what are your plans? is. >> our plans, we're going to go to brazil to see camilla's side of the family. her father's side and her mother's side. we'll leave new york here shortly. do that. and have a brazilian christmas. >> how about you, reese? >> just going to stay home. maybe go to the beach. just enjoy ourselves. >> you both have been on the show a lot but when you get together, you become so much

more southern. you really do. you bring it out in each other. is that something you've noticed? >> no. i didn't notice it. >> we bring out lot of things in each other. >> do you do any singing over the holidays with your kids? why do you tease me like this? >> why do you tease me like this? >> by the way, congratulations, both golden globe nominations. >> exciting. >> do you get two? are you competing against yourself? >> i mean they're both in the best animated feature, i believe. >> which one are you rooting for? >> i'm just rooting. the first two animated films i've been a part of and i was part of two of the good ones. >> it's good to see you guys. >> thank you, matt. >> i can't believe i failed to get him to sing. >> i did the baseline to it. >> one last chance? >> how about everyone in the back? i'll do the baseline. >> hoda.

♪ so call me maybe >> i'll do it. i'll do it with reese. reese and me will do it. >> hoda will sing anything. you know who else is connelling up, you guys? you're going to love this. alicia keys is going to be singing for us in just a little bit. she'll be here. but first, your local news. i'm ...

==chopper== our breaking news: a big fire at a salvage yard in richmond .. sending thick plumes of smoke into the s very gloood morning to you. big fire burning at a salvage yard in richmond. this is happening at a place called steel auto wrecking on richmond parkway. closed in both directions right there. could be a distraction from people from the north bay to east bay, but there are concerns of air quality in this area as well. it's out of control right now, we know the bay area air quality officials are on site assessing. haven't made any declarations just yet, but something we're certainly watching. chevron tweeting out it is not the richmond refinery.

there were concerning of that as people see the thick black smoke billowing into the sky. here's another concern for firefighters in the area as well. winds could be a factor for this fire that has been burning for 45 minutes at least. a look at wind conditions for us. you can tell the smoke is being blown by the wind. we've had gusts up to 15-20 miles an hour and expected to get stronger as we go through the day. coming in from the west and northwest. blowing that smoke off to southeast. keep an eye on that. >> once again another fire at the auto wrecking yard.

8:30 now on a friday morning, the 16th day of december, 2016. we got a really great, nice crowd out on the plaza bundled up against the cold. it is now 17 degrees. mel b. is our celebrity elf this morning. we always appreciate their generosity and time. you can donate by going to our website as weapll. you can catch her on "america's got talent," a holiday spectacular monday night on nbc. she's sticking around this morning. >> she's going to co-host the 9:00. >> she's my co-host for new year's eve, also, mel b.

>> wow! our mission to grant holiday wishes with an assist from some of santa's littlest helpers, of course. we'll have some fun with these kids. >> is this a great way to end your friday? alicia keys is here to give us an awesome performance. >> love her! and another good way to spend a friday morning. we've got siri back to cook up some of the daly family's favorite treats to cook up over the weekend. cheesecake and bacon are involved. but first, it is time to check in with mr. dave price. you got some weather for us? >> weather all the time everywhere. let's go to the maps an see what's happening as we head into the weekend. oh, yes. l how about that, everybody? got a lot of big fans for saturday and sunday. but if you're in the northeast, watch it saturday. looks like we start out with snow and head into rain. we've got sloppy conditions through the great lakes and into sections of the upper midwest, bitter cold into sunday.

we'll slowly see some clearing and a real warm-up in the northeast. look at much of the rest of the country. clearing on out. we are going to see some bitter cold temperatures begin to slide in to the midwest. negative numbers. as we take that turn sunday into monday, we could be setting some records once again as we are dealing with another blast of arctic air. see? it's even getting me. now you can find your forecast any time, anywhere on the weather channel. but right now that's a look at your national maps. here's an early look good morning, i'm meteorologist, carry hall. tracking a that junkyard fire in richmond. smoke billowing in the air. we'll have updates online. we're seeing the storm clearing up. still breezy behind the system. temperatures dropping in mid to upper 40s for parts of north bay. inner way and san francisco 50 degrees. only up to 51 in san francisco.

53 degrees in san jose.

>> so follow me. but where are we going to find toys? come on. follow me. stop wasting time, elves! ♪ jingle bells jingle bells jingle all the way ♪ keep your eyes over there. okay? look closely. >> what are we supposed to be seeing here?

>> hey, honey. i'm so excited! [ horn blaring ] >> oh, my gosh! >> we have brought the toy store to you. >> yay! >> this is a toys'r'us truck, and we are going inside. >> yay! >> it's time to go shopping! go ahead! everybody up! >> wow! >> everyone, look at your list. you guys know who you are shopping for. >> leapfrog. let's find leapfrog. okay? you got a tiara? is she's going to love that. let's go. >> i need a ramp. >> some wanted like lots of toys. i had two bags in my hand. it just was hard. >> guess what? >> what? >> we have some additional elves helping us from papyrus.

everyone's going to help wrap those presents. >> perfect. >> reporter: along with the toys, we sent everyone warm clothes from h & m and a gift card from jcpenney. you know how at the post office there are always fake presents? these aren't fake presents. we want to say thank you to you. emily! >> dear family, remember, santa is coming to town. i did this for you because you've been good. you are going to love your presents. >> dear henry, hope your mom is okay. >> i want you to have a very merry christmas and i want them to be kwiind every day. >> reporter: as santa's helpers, these elves will never witness the impact of their kindness. but if their own actions are any indication, it's a mission accomplished. >> one, two, three -- >> merry christmas! >> one of those stories, i

haven't stopped thinking about those letters that those kids fulfilled and it was amazing. i like that the kids wrote back. >> handwritten letters these days. nice to see. >> really sweet. the u.s. post office receives millions of santa letters each year. as you know, santa could always use a few more elves. so if you are interested, drop in and help. we want to give a big thanks to toys'r'us and papyrus for hec helping us wrap the gifts. >> thanks to you for bringing it all together. up next, carson and siri share their favorite recipes for watching a little football in the daly household. but first, this is a friday on "today" on nbc. (my hero zero by lemonheads)

zero really can be a hero.

get zero down, zero deposit, zero due at signing, and zero first month's payment on select volkswagen models. right now at the volkswagen sign then drive event. 8:40 on a friday morning. we are back with "today food loves football" to get you ready for this weekend's games, including the bucs and cowboys sunday night on nbc. >> siri and i are huge football

fans so we thought we'd share some of our favorite game day snacks. this is not a health conscious segment, we are warning you now. >> comfort food at its best. >> these are the biggest hit in our neighborhood. >> these are called lucy's ham sandwiches where i'm from because my mom's friend made them famous. sticky ham sandwiches. hawaiian sweet rolls, swiss cheese, ham. >> we should mention carson has another recipe in a second. >> we'll add ground mustard and poppy seeds. >> could you just add regular old jar mustard? >> you could. you could. wo we have our hawaiian sweet buns. this is a a little trick because it is a pain to have to slide them all in half. just keep them all together and

just take a serated knife. >> these taste as good as they look on tv, these scktiy sandwiches. >> again, you just have your hand -- you can use turkey or different kinds of cheese. >> you end up baking these. >> yes. all we do is assemble them like that. they get nice and snug. add your sauce on top. it coats all of them. i like to marinate it for an hour maybe overnight. gets all sticky into the bread. then we bake it for about ten minutes covered, then ten minutes uncovered. >> for football, you have people over -- if you have any left, i'll be shocked. >> you know, these are unbelievable. >> they taste better than they look. >> they are a hit. >> i make a lot of quesadillas for my kids at home. for the football game, for adults, we'll just kick it up a notch. this is a pizzadilla.

bacon, ideally i like to try to keep some of the grease and i'll use to crisp up the tortillas. wipe some of it out. put that there for now. then we'll take your tortilla. just like a pizza, build it with a little bit of tomato sauce here. >> i'm going to crumble this for you. >> i'm in heaven. >> you can assemble this just like it is. add some cheese. we've got some oregano. hot sauce. >> i also have some brussels sprouts. >> siri, these are delicious, by the way. >> i'll put one in this one for you. >> just flip it over. how long does that take? >> i just eyeball it to make sure you get a nice crisp. butter does help. throw a little bit of that bacon

grease in there. this will crisp up. you will tell when you cut it, you'll be able to hear it. >> carson is really the quesadilla master in our house. the kids don't want me to make quesadillas. >> that's the pizzadillas. >> i've died and gone to heaven. >> these are great. these are really good. you could fill these with all kinds of things. >> absolutely. siri's got a healthier version there. >> well, not eating healthy version. >> between the lucy's sticky buns and these in our house -- >> you just put them out on the table and people are going to just graze throughout the day. >> it is great for football, too. >> who are you rooting for? >> oakland raiders. >> good luck to these two teams tonight. all eyes are on dallas tonight. >> your football weekend begins tomorrow night on the nfl network with the jets taking on the dolphins, and sunday night tampa bay buccaneers against the

dallas cowboys. go bucs. nbc's coverage begins with "football night in america," beginning at 7:00 eastern time. up next, a live performance from our friend from "the voice" and grammy winner, alicia keys. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ 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. now lease the 2017 gle350 for $579 a month at your local mercedes-benz dealer.

>> announcer: the citi concert series on "today" is proudly presented to you by citi. alicia keys is a singer, a songwriter, producer and 15-time grammy winner who also finds time to serve as a coach on nbc's "the voice." >> she's contagious. >> she's got a new album called "here." it debuted at number one on the billboard r&b chart. >> hey. >> good morning. good morning. >> you are going to get to a song in a minute but you are going to perform this song for the very first time live on national television with us today. >> that is true. the very first time i have performed it. >> how come you saved it for us?

>> well, i love you and i love you, america. and i love being here. but i've just been having such an incredible time with this album, especially because it is such an important body of work for me. it is so much fun, it has so much diversity to it and so many incredible topics on it, things that you can really relate to. one of the things i've been enjoying the most is doing different songs in different places. so today i wanted to do this song just for you, first time ever. bam! >> a lot about new york. your whole life you talk about new york. let me just go off one second. holidays in new york. what's your favorite thing to do? >> my favorite thing to do in new york would be to be in my house out the cold. y'all know what i mean. >> can we ask about blake and why he keeps winning on "the voice"? >> the game is obviously rigged. >> you had a great artist. wade mcdonald. >> wade was awesome! >> your first year you made it to the finale. >> i did. i it was so proud of wade. so proud of us.

she has no limits for her. 17's the youngest artist. only female made it to the finale. i'm so proud to be there. i'm very happy for blake and for sundance because they are very incredibly. we just play around with each other. >> you going to sing? you ready? ♪ monday morning work on it work on it work on it baby ♪ ♪ we all workin' on it ♪ it's all for love you got so much to give ♪ ♪ work on it work on it work on it ♪ ♪ aw baby let me take a moment to say that i know you and you know me yeah yeah baby ♪ let's make it last ♪

now darling, there's a heartache there's a heartache there's a heartache that makes us build on our trust ♪ there's a way to say that the easiest way is to fake it ♪ we gonna make it if we try ♪ you gotta promise not to abuse it if you use it don't lose it or break it ♪ because we gonna make it you and i ♪ when they see us coming they gonna uh-oh uh-oh-uh on oh

uh-oh ♪ ♪ they see us coming they gonna sing ♪ work on it work on it work on it baby ♪ some days are hard there ain't no easy way ♪ matter how we try nobody's perfect ♪ ♪ work on it work on it work on it ♪ ♪ oh yeah but if we just love each other through it all ♪ ♪ work on it work on it work on it ♪ ♪ baby it all makes it worth it ♪ ♪ work on it work on it work on it ♪ ♪ there's people that say that the easiest way is to fake it ♪ we gonna make it if we try if we try ♪ you got to promise not to abuse it if you use it don't lose it

or break it ♪ because we gonna make it you and i ii ♪ ♪ oh oh oh oh oh oh ♪ oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh ♪ they see us coming they gonna say ♪ ♪ work on it work on it work on it ♪ ♪ when they feel us coming they gonna say oh ♪ when they feel us coming they gonna say oh oh oh yeah ♪ work on it work on it work on it baby ♪ >> yes! >> come on! come on! come on! come on! >> thanks guys, very much. >> that was awesome! that was awesome! again, that album is

alicia keys. did you know slow internet can actually hold your business back? say goodbye to slow downloads, slow backups, slow everything. comcast business offers blazing fast and reliable internet that's 10 times faster than slow internet from the phone company. say hello to internet speeds up to 150 mbps. and add phone and tv for only $34.90 more a month. call today. comcast business. built for business.

back now at 8:54. james franco is joining us on the couch, star of the new movie "why" -- alicia's just waving. >> have you seen the clips here?

the guy plays a man meeting his girlfriend's parents for the first time and he is not what they expected. james, great to see you. good morning. here's what happened after i watched your character in this movie. i just went home and grounded my daughter. for no reason. she will not be dating for a very long time. >> how old is she? >> she's 13. >> okay. yeah. that's a good idea. >> what a fun cast. can we say? >> bryan cranston, megan mulally, zoey deutch. i really did it when bryan told me that he was going to be a part of it. i think people forget that he started in comedy on "malcolm in the middle," won emmys for it. everyone thinks of him as walter white now. he is like one of the funniest guys around. like i hadn't really done a comedy without seth roggin for a long time. he's like my new partner and he

is amazing. >> what about the hbo series, "the deuce"? you play two different characters? >> i play twins on that. it's with david simon who did "the wire." and it's sort of about the rise of the porn industry in new york in the '70s. >> well, look at the time! >> you're going to stick around, right? >> i think so. >> i hope so. we'll be back after your local news. local news. i'm ... ==chopper== our breaking news: we continue to monitor a fire at an auto yard...or what's good friday morning. break news this morning. continue to monitor a fire at an auto yard. where what's essentially a salvage yard in richmond. live images you're looking at. see the plume of smoke gushing into the bay area sky. that smoke is visible for miles. if you're seeing it right now, this is not a refinery fire. it is not an accident. it's a junkyard fire happening at a business in richmond called

deal auto wrecking. here is the latest information that we have. the richmond parkway is closed in both directions. officers are asking drivers to use a different route there. hoping police are warning people it's not a viability cut through between 580 and 80. a distraction certainly. find out what the wind is doing to the flame sgls the winds are calming down. especially compared to yesterday. see the winds blowing in from the west and northwest at about 10-15 miles an hour. not as strong and it looks like they're getting a little bit of a handle on that so hopefully things improve. >> this is a shelter in place there for residents in the area. carry, thank you. air quality officials on scene. as soon as we have more information, we'll bring it to you.

this morning on dae"today's take," it is a huge freeb"freeb frida friday". we've got the spice, how about a little sugar, the ultimate homemade christmas cookies coming up now. . >> announcer: from nbc news, this this is "today's take" live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. welcome to "today" on this fabulous friday morning. it is december 16th, 2016. i'm tamron. along with -- look at this -- this is where the magic happens. call your grandma, call your auntie. look who's here. "america's got talent judge," the fabulous, the magnificent

mel b. and golden globe winning star and nominee, mr. robot himself. well, kind of. sort of. >> you are the magic of the show. >> thank you. >> christian slater is back with us. we have an incredible show planned because it is "freebie friday" and we are giving away something big for the holidays that would make the greatest christmas gift ever. so please don't move because you can win from home. i know that sometimes you think we forget you at home because you are not on the plaza doing all that. that's okay. because if you scream from home, guess who's going to hear you? >> we are. >> they're going to have something special for you. you've got "america's got talent" holiday spectacular. >> yes. it is just full of fun and christmas. actually there is a few surprises in there. heidi does a bit of a song and dance. a very sexy song and dance. we have old fan favorites back. we've got the winner, grace. it is just a lovely, fun christmassy family show. >> you forgot someone on the

list? >> who? >> the regurgitater? >> yeah. >> he's great at decorating christmas trees. >> you know about this, christian? >> i've heard about this guy. you have to explain. >> there is no explanation. he can put stuff in his mouth and regurgitate it and he has no -- >> you've gotten that close to tell? >> yes. yes, i have gotten that close. >> does it make you feel like -- >> sick. yes. >> does it bring up the holiday spirits or -- because it is a unique way -- >> you just wonder how he does it. >> -- to celebrate. does he have children? what is this guy's deal? could you imagine? >> he travels the whole entire world with this act. we were lucky enough to have him on our show. >> no one else does it. >> nobody else does it. >> did he decorate the whole tree as well? >> he can regurgitate salt and sugar.

>> it's appalling. >> it airs monday night, 8:00 central, right here on nbc. we need a palate cleanser. >> you have other talents. we're going to see it on the broadway stage. mel is in chicago. >> i am. >> when does that start? >> it's not the -- is that the playbill? >> yeah. december 28th, my opening night. >> december 28th is your opening night. >> yes. i didn't want to tell anybody because i want to be a little bit good before anybody comes to see it. >> oh, come on. >> when did you learn that you'd be doing it? >> i actually was in discussions with them months ago and now i finally signed my contract, am finally in rehearsals. mao it is very, very daunting. >> you've been to rehearsal. >> yeah. i actually rehearsed on the

stage for the first time yesterday. >> for example, like what? give me one thing. plus, we want to see your dress. >> i have to talk in an american accent. my kids are making fun of me the whole entire time. >> let's hear your american. >> no. i need to rehearse a little bit before. >> you're putting her right on the spot. >> i did cry a little bit yesterday. because the play's been going for 20 years, the musical. i wanted to make sure that i'm doing my part. >> you're mel b. >> i'm playing roxy. i want to do justice. >> you want to service the show as best you can. >> can you stand for one second? >> why? >> let's see the dress. and then like if you were roxy right now, what would she do? >> oh, yes! >> is that too much? >> it is a standing ovation! the whole place is on their feet. >> women, men, children have all stood up around america. >> yeah, i couldn't help myself.

i rose immediately. >> i mean to my feet. >> i have to confess to you. you were my white boy crush when i was younger. >> no! >> for a very, very long time. >> that's very specific. >> i was in a particular category. >> what was it about him that made him be the white crush? >> just his swag. the swag that you have. >> oh, man. >> get us and let us see. >> let me see you now. now you are challenged. >> i love it! i love it! >> i'm swaggering. i'm swaggering on feel-good friday. >> but mel gave us a little extra. let's see your extra. >> what do you want -- i mean -- >> air guitar. what do you have? >> tilt down. that's enough. it is a fun show. >> he's got extra swagger

because of course you were nominated for a golden globe. again. >> yes. thank you so much. thank you, thank you, thank you. >> does it ever get old being so special? >> oh, my goodness, come on. no. that was a huge honor. great surprise. i couldn't have been happier. i'm so proud of the show and -- look. i think i was so proud of season two, also. the writing and -- actually the girls' performances in season two i thought were amazing. carly, portia, grace. >> i was on an airplane with both of them. i was flying back from l.a. but you won last year. so this year -- >> yes. >> -- is there extra pressure with the speech in case you win? >> that's it. i feel good with it. >> where is the globe now? >> it is next to something that my son had made for me about five years ago. he carved this thing in this wood piece of wood that said "out of difficulties grow miracles." i put that up on my shelf. now the award is next to that. it is a good spot for it. >> he should go in that business

and give it out to everybody. then like we can all have good fortune. >> that would be nice. >> $12.99. okay. so people might be wondering why we decided to pair christian and mel together. we did research -- >> because we both crushed on each other. >> other than being each other's crush, you guys actually have -- >> it is good you're sitting between us. >> the heat that's coming through -- >> can you feel it? >> my body is like having all kinds of reaction. that didn't sound right. >> that didn't sound right. >> you said earlier you've never met before. just on tv looking at each other. >> that's right. >> so here is the research that we came up with. >> okay. >> this is how we've connected you and why you are here together today. it's not just "freebie friday" for people at home. christian, you were in "interview with a vampire" with tom cruise. tom cruise was in "rain man" with dustin hoffman. dustin hoffman was in "hook" with julia roberts. and julia roberts was in "oceans

11" with brad pitt. you following me? brad pitt was in "fight club" with meatloaf. and meatloaf was in "spice world" with mel b.! >> yes! >> that is the connection? >> that's how we got you together. >> that's the connection. meatloaf. >> incredible. wow. >> that's how we -- we went through a list. >> i love meatloaf. i borrowed one that was eight pounds when we made the movie and i promised him i'd pay him back. and i didn't. another round of story. >> that reminds me, yesterday was our holiday party, the "today" show holiday party. i borrowed $20 from one of our producers for the coat check. and i -- >> $20 for a coat check? that's a rip-off! >> new york. that's new york prices. >> that was the tip because i always feel so guilty. >> that's nice. >> i feel so guilty -- i

borrowed the tip. can you imagine the holiday party, they were charging employees for the coat check? you want your coat check? here. do we have pictures, guys, from the holiday party? i've got to pay him back. this was us at the holiday party. we'll explain that in a second but it required a lot of honesty. what's your feel-good friday before we move to this game i want to play with you? >> wow. i was thinking about that. i guess it is my dogs. my dogs made me feel good. i wake up in the morning, i got my little dog, she's licking my face to say, take me out for a walk. >> what kind of dog? >> two terrier mixes. they're rescues. >> what are their names? >> hoot and fish. >> who came up with the name hoot? >> she actually came with that name. >> you kept it. >> i kept it because i thought i've never heard that name before and just thought it was adorable. >> and a dog named fish? >> a dog named fish. people think we named him because of hootie and the blow

fish. no. i got fish first. hoot just came. >> what's your feel-good friday? i'm just glad to be in new york. it's beautiful, all the christmas trees and the whole vibe. i love it. that's my happiness for friday. >> we have a little happiness coming up for both of you as well. we have a cookie challenge. i've been in search this year for the perfect christmas cookie. i've eaten tons and tons and i'm just not satisfied. so we have two viewers who are coming in. we were supposed to go to their house but the schedule got crazy. we brought them in and they're going to show us at home how to make these cookies. then we're going it to size them up. it is not a competition. it is just a challenge which your cookie game looks like. here is another challenge. not a competition. we played at our party "never have i ever." at this christmas party -- there are supposed to be rules for how you behave around co-workers. yesterday at the "today" show party, you can imagine. with hoda and hkathie lee.

there was don nash. savannah called in on face time. we asked these questions. here you go. you guys answer and i'll tell you. you have to write. never -- or i have. never, or i have told someone i loved you -- i loved their movie or album without seeing it or listening to it. have you ever said that to someone? never? >> i mean -- >> i'm too honest. >> you're a judge on "america's got talent." >> you have to. >> you've never said you like someone's work and you really didn't? >> no. no. >> christian slater. >> no. i love everybody's work. >> okay. never have i ever used my fame to get out of a traffic ticket. >> ha-ha-ha. >> never, because i don't have a car. you have? >> i have. but it didn't work and he went so what? >> oh, no! >> still gave me a ticket. >> that's no good.

yeah, i have. i have -- >> did you get off? >> did i get off -- i know. yeah. yeah. i did not -- i did get off, yes. >> you did. >> you didn't get the ticket. you got the ticket? >> i can't believe that. that's stunning. >> you should have stood up and did that move this was an actual question asked at the "today" show party. never have i ever been naked -- because i'm texan -- in public. naked. neck-ed. >> go ahead. so you haven't been naked. there is a question from a lady. >> i have. >> you have been naked? >> i have. which i admitted at the party. i was in hedonism, which is a place in jamaica. they had a water slide and i was challenged -- >> you went down a water slide naked? >> it's clear. it's -- yeah. i was in my 20s. it was before i found --

>> where were you? >> i've done it just in my job. for work. >> have you been naked? >> not fully naked. >> come on. >> you have to keep some of -- little bit of something covered. >> that makes me feel good. >> look at you. >> a whole different look about you no you. >> water slide. i'm imagining that. >> it is called young and impressionable. up next -- i'm sweating. mama, i'm sorry. james corden gets all he wants for christmas in car pool karaoke. there was also a hot tub. actor, director, artist and teacher james franco. i bet he's been neck-ed in public. he'll tell us about his new

at progresso, we are now using 100% antibiotic and hormone-free white breast meat chicken in all our chicken soups! behold our greatest opus! ♪ as soon as i became a parent i changed as a person, drastically. ♪ i tried hard to quit smoking. ♪ but when we brought our daughter home that was it. ♪ now i have nicoderm cq. the nicoderm cq patch with unique extended release technology helps prevent your urge to smoke all day. it's the best thing that ever happened to me. can you say thanks nicoderm cq? every great why needs a great how. ...better than a manual, and my hygienist says it does. but... ...they're not all the same. turns out, they're really... ...different. who knew? i had no idea. so, she said look for... ...one that's shaped like a dental tool with a round... ...brush head. go pro with oral-b.

oral-b's rounded brush head surrounds each tooth to... ...gently remove more plaque and... ...oral-b crossaction is clinically proven to... ...remove more plaque than sonicare diamondclean. my mouth feels so clean. i'll only use an oral-b! the #1 brand used by dentists worldwide. oral-b. brush like a pro. we're talking about al's cold-brewed coffee. mindy dickerson said technically brad pitt was in "interview with a vampire" too so christian slater is closer to mel b. >> mariah carey karaoke. here is your moment. ♪ i don't want a lot for christmas there is just one thing i need ♪ i don't care about the presents

underneath the christmas tree ♪ i just want you for my own more than you could ever know ♪ make my wish come true all i want for christmas is you ♪ >> okay, that's epic. >> that's pretty good! >> that's full-on. >> adele was -- you noticed london in the background. did you know that you got a little love when adele did karaoke car pool? >> yes. yes. i was so flattered. ♪ tell me what you want what you really really want ♪ >> that's so awesome. ♪ if you want to be my future

forget my past ♪ ♪ if you want to get with me >> that's so sweet. >> that was a life changing moment. that's the best. >> man. >> i love it! >> the best, ever. >> how good is that? ♪ tell me what you want what you really really want ♪ >> you know the song, too? i love that. let's get a look good morning, cool temperatures right now and we'll keep it in the weekend for san francisco. we'll have some suns and some breezy winds, we have the freeze warning in effect where most of the interior valleys and the hills reaching down to 33 degrees for sunday morning and low 50s for the next few days. >> i was 20 when he went to hedonism. i'm 46 now.

it's the best day of the week because it is "freebie friday." it's your "freebie friday." we're giving away awesome gifts. we're back right after this. we're back right after this. yes, you at home, you will ( ♪ ) ♪ you gotta to be cool, calm, collected ♪ ♪ look your fear in the eye ♪ you gotta be shaking off the pressure ♪ ♪ gotta be taking your time ♪ had my ups, downs, run-arounds ♪ ♪ my dark and despair ♪ but the best stuff came ♪ when all the sweat wasn't there ♪ ♪ you gotta say ♪ hey-y ♪ ho-o ♪ hey-y ♪ ho-o you're so cold, come in!

what's wrong? it's dry... your scalp? mine gets dry in the winter too. try head and shoulders' dry scalp care it nourishes the scalp and... ...keeps you up to 100% flake free head and shoulders' dry scalp care so you think santa will like these... red and green m&m's? i don't know! i never met the guy! whaaaaa! he does exist! they do exist! uhm... santa? fortified.tored. replenished. emerge everyday with emergen-c packed with b vitamins, antioxidants, electrolytes plus more vitamin c than 10 oranges. why not feel this good everyday? emerge and see.

we asked woman to smell two body washethey both smell good.rite. i like b better. i prefer b. b. i would like to smell like this every day. but what was body wash a? ohhhh i love bath and bodyworks. i have this in my bathroom. and what was the one they preferred? ohhhh. this is suave. really? that's quite a bit of smelling good. suave three fragrances preferred over bath and body works.

we're bundled up because it is time, just one more reason to love fridays because we are giving away free stuff. christian, you've been with "freebie friday" before. this is mel's first experience. explain to mel. it goes crazy. >> this is going to be -- yes. loud. >> gives away some dvds. >> but it's fun. >> we're giving away dvds, mel. it is a secret behind these. you guys at home, the people out here think they're just getting -- there's james franco. they think they're going to get dvds but we have major surprise. >> holy mowly! >> it is chilly.

okay! >> hey, hey, hey! >> oh, my gosh. >> your turn. >> i'm going to go over here and say hi. >> hi! >> look at that! >> what's your name? >> penny. >> nice to meet you, penny. there, you've got a gift. right there. >> you have cds and dvds. you actually are getting, if you're holding that basket, an epson home cinema hdtv. >> your own home theater! >> yeah! >> this is actually what you're

getting. let's go over here. >> let's go give this to penny. >> a 740 hd projector online. to find out how to enter, visit our facebook page at facebook.com/today's take. don't forget to like us. tamron? >> that's really yours. it is an hd projector. we just tricked you with the dvds. >> it's not dvds. >> there you go. >> oh, man! >> keep on giving! i love it! >> what a wonderful thing. >> wait a minute. we have more? >> we have more? how many more? >> how many more? >> i think that's it. >> we'll figure it out. just ahead, many people clean their dentures with toothpaste or plain water.

and even though their dentures look clean, in reality they're not. if a denture were to be put under a microscope, we can see all the bacteria that still exists on the denture, and that bacteria multiplies very rapidly. that's why dentists recommend cleaning with polident everyday. polident's unique micro clean formula works in just 3 minutes, killing 99.99% of odor causing bacteria. for a cleaner, fresher, brighter denture every day. sure, you could sit around all night waiting for a pizza to be delivered. but wouldn't making it yourself be a lot more fun? it's baking season. warm up with pillsbury. i'm ...

==chopper== our breaking news: we continue to monitor a fire at an auto yard in richmond ....where firefighters have made considerable progress on a blaze that about an hour ago was spewing black smoke into they sky, and devouring piles of cars at this business. that is "deal auto wrecking"--- a salvage yard located on the richmond parkway...at gertrude avenue. you see the cars and nearby parkway are coated in white now, as the combination of water and fire retardant appears to have calmed the flames. the richmond parkway is still closed in both directions in that area, and oakland c-h-p officers are asking drivers to use a different route. additionally, there's a public health advisory that went into effect in the last 30 minutes or so. it's for the areas of richmond and el cerrito... and residents close by are being told to stay inside, close

their windows and doors, and turn off their heaters, air conditioners and fans. if you have respiratory sensitivities, this could be problem for you.. reak..n off their heaters and air conditioners and fans. this could be a problem if you have respiratory, this is considerable progress on the auto yard fire. coming up, mike is going to break down what this is doing to traffic in the area, kari will have a look at your weather, we'll be right back.

we continue to follow breaking news out of richmond at this hour. a fire that broke out at 7:45 this morning. ulames clearly have tapered if they are not out. apparently, the winds tapered affic bit, too. the winds have come down to about 10 or 15 miles per hour. we are tracking the winds coming in from the west so blowing that smoke off towards the south and east. it is looking like once again as those flames coming down and the smoke looking better. san jose, we are tracking the

last bit of moistures and light rain ploomoving through parts oe south bay. don't be surprised by some sprinkles as we go through the next hour or so. how is it looking on the road, mike? >> great. camden does leave two of our middle lanes blocked. oakland, also recovered from an earlier crash at 29th. that's the only slowing there. richmond parkway is closed right at the scene of the industrial fire. but, go ahead and use those freeways because they are really smooth. >> good to hear, mike, thank you very much, that's going to do it for us now, see you in 30 minutes.

yes, james franco never ceases to surprise us as a filmmaker, screen writer, artist, professor, and actor who has appeared in -- you've done over 130 movies and tv shows? >> don't look at me today. look at this multi-tasker right here. >> some of our favorites include his oscar nominated turn as aron ralston in the movie "127 hours" and the hit comedy, "pineapple express." >> now james is keeping the laughs coming in a new movie, "why him." he plays an eccentric new man who asks his girlfriend's father for her hand in marriage. >> he was turned down but he was

not going to let that stop him. >> why don't you give me a few days to win you over. okay? and by christmas morning, i promise you're going to be calling me son. i'm going to be calling you dad. >> don't think that's going to happen. >> well, i think it is gonna, dad. >> don't. >> dad, come on. >> don't call me dad. >> don't call you dad. >> i'm not your dad. >> well, i mean you're gonna be my dad. >> no, no. >> dad. >> okay, now you're playing with me. >> dad. >> i love it! >> that crehemistry in this fil is amazing. the whole time i was thinking, who did the channel for this character? where was your inspiration coming from? >> sadly, probably a lot from me. but i don't have any tattoos. i'm not -- >> you don't have any tattoos. >> no. >> they were all just painted on? >> yeah. i designed all of those. >> you designed all the tattoos. >> yeah. i drew some of them. and then there is a big tattoo -- i think it is not a

spoiler. there is a big tattoo on my back of the whole family. >> yes. "happy holidays." what a surprise. that was incredible, man! i watched it last night. it's hilarious. some of the artwork in it, right? is that some of your stuff? >> yeah. there is a a bunch of -- >> the cats? >> kind of silly things on the walls. >> the cats? did you do the cats? >> there's like a fat squirrel -- >> oh, yeah. sure. >> you did all of that? >> there was like some -- there's some deer. >> yes. sure. there was some wonderful very colorful paintings. >> are they for sale at all? >> yeah, some of those actually have been sold. they're just replicas of the ones that have been sold. >> how do you find time for all of this? you are a professor, an artist. like the renaissance man. do you sleep? >> no. it's too much. >> sleep is overrated. >> you take like --

>> you're starting to multi-task. i need to stop. >> we take likes little ten-minute naps wherever we can. that's how we get through it. >> the last time you were here, christian was filling in and you had a movie together that had a racy edge to it. >> he multi-tasks more than i do. >> no, no, come on. that was definitely an edgy one thing. >> i feel the bro love here. >> yes. i like it. >> when you work with him it is great because you become part of a troupe of actors. he's also doing something. it is nice to know that there's going to be an interesting project at some point in the future. >> so mel revealed at the top of the show that you were her white boy crush. >> this was mine. >> that's what i was getting at. >> cat's out of the bag, ladies and gentlemen. >> he was mine, too. >> right. >> and did you hear about her naked slide? >> oh, come on. >> fully naked down the slide in jamaica. >> it was 20 years ago.

>> but then you get an immediate visual? >> no. because you're a nice man. tell me this, have you ever been naked in public? >> oh, good question. >> not for a movie. >> just naked in public. i mean a rooftop, at someone's house. >> sure. >> backyard. >> nudist beach. >> what moved you to just go down that slide naked? >> aren't you curious? >> i'm a competitive person. surprise. someone said, you won't do it. i was 20. like, yes, i will. >> that's all you have to do. >> i dare you to do something. >> i bet you wouldn't do it right now. >> wait a minute. james franco "why him" hits theaters december 23rd. >> you need some help? we asked for your best homemade cookie recipes. if we had more time i'd be naked right now. we're back after a break. this is "today" on nbc. i'm lucky to get through a shift without a disaster.

my bargain detergent couldn't keep up. so, i switched to tide pods. they're super concentrated, so i get a better clean. tide. number one rated. it's got to be tide a moto light up the runway.color schwarzkopf presents color ultime its color blend formula locks pigments in for brilliant, vibrant colors. discover runway colors that last. color ultime. love it or your money back! from schwarzkopf.

fortified.tored. replenished. emerge everyday with emergen-c packed with b vitamins, antioxidants, electrolytes plus more vitamin c than 10 oranges. why not feel this good everyday? emerge and see. hi hey you look good. thank you, i feel good. it all starts with eating right. that's why i eat amaz!n prunes now. they're delicious and help keep my body in balance. i love these. sunsweet amaz!n prunes, the feel good fruit. you guys ever try one of these bars made over at right twix?

why? our special cookie is cascaded with caramel and cloaked in chocolate. you never wondered? [ whoosh! zap! ] [ glass breaks ] aah! [ male announcer ] try both. pick a side. twix. eucerin has been solvingy both. dry skin problems for over 100 years. discover eucerin advanced repair. it moisturizes dry, itchy, rough, skin. for immediate relief and proven 48-hour moisture. for healthier-looking skin... ...look for eucerin, now in the red cap. and let roomba from irobot help with your everyday messes. roomba navigates your entire home. cleaning up pet hair and debris for up to 2 hours. which means your floors are always clean. you and roomba, from irobot. better. together. our progressive direct rate... great deals for reals!

...and our competitors' rates side-by-side, so you know you're getting a great deal. saving the moolah. [ chuckles ] as you can see, sometimes progressive isn't the lowest. not always the lowest! jamie. what are you doing? -i'm being your hype man. not right now. you said i was gonna be the hype man. no, we said we wouldn't do it. i'm sorry, we were talking about savings. i liked his way. cha-ching! talking about getting that moneeeey! talking about getting that moneeeey! savings worth the hype. now that's progressive. savings worth the hype. we rely on our courage. the kind of courage that shows up when we need it... and when cancer is least expecting it. courage. just one reason more of us are surviving cancer than dying from it. give now to the american cancer society.

last week you may remember we did a shout out for the greatest cookie creations. we ran out of time for me to come to your house but we found two amazing people to bring in to share their recipes. a couple of our viewers. nancy from frederick, maryland, and jackie of scarborough, maine. christian, who's never baked a cookie in his life. >> never. disaster! >> -- is in the kitchen. ladies, welcome. thank you so much. you said you are a little nervous but don't be. you are in capable hands. >> the captain is at the helm here. >> captain has two tenilles. let's hit. >> nancy, this is a better crocker recipe that you found 30 years ago. >> exactly. >> but over time you have changed and adapted it to make it your own. >> exactly. yes. >> is that the story here? >> yeah. >> cool.

>> so right now we have the powdered sugar and some shortening. we are going to put some eggs in. >> yummy. >> i love that you also go with shortening. that's important. shortening is amazing. people forget how great it is. >> i don't flow whknow what tha but fantastic. shortening is a vital ingredient, ladies and gentlemen. >> almond extract. blend that thoroughly. >> nice. >> few minutes. >> are you making the candy canes? >> add some flour. >> do you make these every holiday? >> every holiday. >> do you give them out as gifts? >> well, i used to but my kids want them all. >> how many kids do you have? >> i have four. >> four kids. >> yeah. >> wow. >> and five grandchildren. >> oh, wow! >> a little too much. >> you can turn it off.

that's christian's fault. >> yeah, i did that. sorry. what's the next step here? >> then we're going to take -- how did you turn it red? >> so we have to dye it red. >> you can also make it a little pink. you take the ball and you roll it between your hands. you can have one if you like. one at a time, two at a time. >> i messed it up. >> you roll the dough like this. then we take two strips together. twist them so they don't break. >> except it's called a candy cane. >> of course. >> you can only do one at a time because the dough dries. >> how do you get the shapes? >> once you get the cane -- >> this is the final product right here. >> how long do you bake it for? >> stop rushing her! stop rushing her! >> this is so good! it's incredible!

jackie, you're next. nancy, fantastic candy cane. >> this is delicious. >> you remember your aunt gerry making these when you were a little kid. why do they mean christmas for you? >> well, everybody loved them and she came back making them every year. >> that's so sweet. >> it's been in the family for 55 years. >> these are so tasty. >> what are your key ingredients? >> first, you do the shortening and sugar. and then you add the other wet ingredients like the eggs and the vanilla. and -- >> vanilla is a key ingredient. yeah. >> then you add the dry ingredients. what makes these oatmeal cook s cookies -- >> she said maybe you shouldn't do that. >> now turn it up! let's go! >> your special ingredients -- >> the special ingredients are the coconut, the crushed

cornflakes, and then the oatmeal. you add all of that in there. >> that would go in there as well. >> now you have -- >> that's it! >> then you have the dough. i used to do it by hand and roll it, but then they came out with this little nifty -- >> technology! >> i want to get to the inside of what you have in your cookies. >> since it is sticky you have to -- just squash it down. then you bake it for the recommended time. >> i got to take over. >> is it's chocolate. >> get in there. >> in a double boiler you would mix the chocolate and cream cheese and sugar. >> then you make the sandwiches here. let me tell you. you have lived up to my expectations. thank you so much. they're asking me if there is a winner. both are -- >> how could you pick? >> impossible. you have made christmas great again. thank you both. thank you, ladies.

>> thank you so much, jackie. nancy, amazing. i need some milk. >> your families are so lucky. go to today.com/food to check out their amazing recipes. thank you for your generosity coming in. >> don't talk good morning, i am meteorologist kari hall as we get a view at san francisco. there is some residual moistures streaming on through. now, we are ready for some freezing temperatures in the north bay. freeze warning will be in effect for tomorrow morning and sunday morning. for south bay, it will be sunday morning. ag >> thank y again, merry christmas, happy holidays. up next, the cast of moonlight. first, these messages. you, ladies, were great.

here's how benefiber® works. inside each of us are trillions of good microflora that support good digestive health. the prebiotic fiber in benefiber® nourishes them so they can thrive. and what helps them, helps you and me every day. clear, taste-free, all natural benefiber®. nourish the goodness inside. also try benefiber® healthy shape. it's proven to keep you feeling fuller longer. 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. it's baking season. warm up with pillsbury.

i'm about to pop a cap of "mmm fresh" in that washer with unstopables in-wash scent boosters by downy. and if you want, pour a little more, because this scent lasts for 12 weeks, which is longer than any relationship i've ever been in. right, freshness for weeks! unstopables by downy. for a fresh too feisty to quit.

pain from a headache whecan make this...d, feel like this. all-in-one cold symptom relief from tylenol®, the #1 doctor recommended pain relief brand. tylenol® when you have a cold, pain from chest congestion can make this... feel like this. all-in-one cold symptom relief from tylenol®, the #1 doctor recommended pain relief brand. tylenol®

"moonlight" is one of the most talked about films this award season with six golden globe nominations. it is the story of an underprivileged boy named shirone as he struggles with his sexuality. i sat down with the cast to talk about the film. >> what happened, shirone? why you didn't come home like you're supposed to? huh? and who is you? >> nobody. i found him yesterday. found him in a hole on 15th. yeah. some boys chased him. he's scared more than anything. wouldn't tell me where he lived. >> with me now, naomi harris who plays his mother, and rahershell plays the part of a drug dealer. good morning to you, cast. this is the most beautiful cast i've ever seen. get that out of the way now. let me get my crushes out. barry, i left shaking.

then i had to look you up and google and where could this have come from. what's the back story? how did you create what's being called a masterpiece? >> so the playwright wrote this piece called "in moonlight black boys are blue" in 2003. when it came to me it was like a baton was passed. terrell and my mom both went through this struggle with addiction depicted by naomi in the film. so it felt like my life, but not my life. >> naomi, so much of this is about a young man's development and finding his place. but the women in his life, including your character, and janelle monet are the queens of this film. what was it like to have this character struggling with her addiction and seeing what it was doing to her son. how was that? >> it was really tough to play. really difficult to be so brutal

sometimes to the actors who are absolutely gorgeous, young, alex hipper, only 11 years old in the film and such a brilliant performer and having to do scenes where i'm shouting at him and i'm really being not a great mother at all. it was really tough. >> travonte, i've never seen anything like this, a depiction of a young, black male in this way. what was that like for you to present a character that if you've ever been to a neighborhood, you know this guy but he's never been on film. >> it was liberating, honestly, to be a part of something that told a story, like as you said, hadn't been told before and have the opportunity to kind of bring that to life was liberating and it was just a wonderful experience. >> in rehearsal, this is the role model, your character, juan, for this young boy. he is as imperfect as anyone could be but this is his only

guide to manhood. >> right. >> how do you prepare for something like that? do you pull from your past at all and those role models that mattered to you? >> i think i did on the day i found myself pulling from my past and those i grew up in close proximity to who resembled juan in some ways. but in preparation for this i really focused on those -- the many beautiful qualities that juan has. he ha is some really wonderful attributes that i aspire to have right now in my life. >> well, as i said, around the board people are calling it a masterpiece. i don't want to jinx you, but have you picked out your oscars outfits yet? you know that's what's important. coordinate. that's my thing. huge cast, coordinate. "moonlight" is in theaters now. we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc. "moonlig "moonlight" is in theaters now. we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc.

we would like to give a big thank you to our amazing crowd on the plaza this morning. mel b. was our celebrity elf earlier collecting gifts for deserving kids.

we're not done yet. welcome ken from uncle milton toys. good morning. tell us about your donation? >> we're so happy to donate over 150,000 of our most popular science and education toys, including "the virtual explorer which brings together virtual reality, augmented reality and toys all in one product, as well as products like "star wars" science. the ant farm. we created that in 1956. >> you got two celebrity fans out there. we have one more wleeek to dona online or on the plaza. our website has details on it. i want to thank you mel b. and christian. by the way, i don't have a co-host the week of december 26th. i'm back from vacation. >> i'm down. i'm free. >> i just booked the show live.

i'm ... ==vo== our breaking news: a fire at an an auto yard in richmond that broke out a couple hours ago...and prompted a 'public health advisory' from all the smoke. this is what it looked lik good morning, 9:56, a fire that broke out that prompted a public advisory from all the smoke.

the firefighters had corralled the flames and isolated the fire to a small portion of the yard. coating the cars and a near by richmond parkway. earlier, those flames were rapid and producing thick plumes of black smoke that saturated the bay area. the last hour, contra costa county -- residents are told to stay inside the close their windows. traffic impact, that savage yard is located on the richmond parkway. chp officers are asking drivers to use a different route. it is not an option to cut through right now. mike is going to bring us the latest on your traffic and kari will have a look at your chilly forecast right after this. and we are taking a look at our camera from oakland and we

see the smoke starting to calm down and traffic is backing down. we are going to see winds still breezy about 20 miles per hour and some spotty light rain for the south bay. highs today in the low 50s. we'll send you back to the "today" show.

>> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. be thankful you're inside. a very cold friday, december 16th. look outside. never come when i or kathie lee are here. somehow when you're here, the crowd arrived. jane kerlikowske is here from "the unbreakable kimmy schmidt." >> must think someone else is up here. >> hi! >> hi