. good good morning, bone-chilling, bitterly cold temperatures whipping through the country this weekend. in some places, it could feel as cold as 40 below zero today. and with the cold comes the snow. 150 million people under some sort of winr storm advisory this weekend from the rocky mountains all the way into the northeast. the nasty weather leading to accident after accident and showing no signs of letting up any time soon. we'll have the full forecast. talking tough. president obama in his final news conference of the year defending his administration's response to russian hacking around the election. >> our goal continues to be to

send a clear message to russia or others not to do this to us because we can do stuff to you. >> the president now asking the trump administration to investigate after he leaves office. how will president-elect trump respond? a terrible encounter caught on camera. video of a star college running back knocking out a woman in a restaurant more than two years ago is released overnight. he apologized and was suspended for a year. now he's playing in a bowl game and hopes to make it to the nfl. but with the league taking a hard line on domestic violence, will this video scare teams away? and a true champion. a "jeopardy!" contestant shows us what it means to persevere. >> what is the mega? what is the peach state? what is buddhism? >> that's it. >> winning game after game all while battling stage four

cancer. her spirit, her winning attitude, and her opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream. melting hearts around the world. today, saturday, december 17th, 2016. >> from nbc news, this is "today" live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. and welcome to "today" on this saturday morning. i'm alongside chanel jones, dave price in for dylan dreyer this morning. >> speaking of dylan, no baby yet. >> i'm beginning to wonder. i think the whole thing may have been a ruse. >> and way wait and wait. >> there's nothing like waiting. this woman, she's been baking, making holiday treats. >> she can't sit still. >> we'll keep you post. >> yes, we will. let's get to our top story, though. that unbearable cold and snow across the country. the cold is really the worst of it. check out some of these temperatures. negative 45 with the windchill in billings, montana. 40 below in bismarck.

negative 34 in cheyenne, wyoming. those bitter cold temperatures are not expected to get any better through the weekend either. there's also some snow to contend with many parts of the party waking up to the white stuff already and a whole lot of it. nbc's morgan radford 30 miles northwest of where we sit in manhattan. the snow's been falling for a few hours. good morning. >> reporter: craig, good morning. 150 million americans across the country waking up to this. this snow, this ice. it's also this dangerously cold windchill that's sweeping the country. some places seeing temperatures dip 30 degrees below zero. a winter whiteout. blankets of snow barreling across the great plains sending sheets of ice and howling winds through america's heartland. slamming the northeast this morning. >> this is brutally cold. >> i don't know if you ever could be ready. >> i hate winter.

>> reporter: out west, neighbors in wyoming race against the clock to clear snow-covered streets. >> even though it's 9 degrees out now, the temperatures are still supposed to keep dropping. >> reporter: hoping to avoid accident like this in minnesota where icy roads caused hundreds of crashes in less than 24 hours and sent this tractor-trailer sliding off the highway. a similar scene in utah. bumper-to-bumper traffic at a standstill while hail pounded the ground. and this arctic blast is just getting started. temperatures across the country dipping below zero this weekend. set to break record lows in cities like minneapolis, bismarck, pierre, and chicago where the high for sunday is expected to be negative 2. the first time the windy city has seen a high below zero in 33 years. next in those snow-covered cross hairs, the northeast.

firefighters in boston wrestled forward-looking statements friday while battling windchill below zero. >> we've had significant issues around freezing. our ladders are frozen. >> reporter: now facing more of that bone-chilling freeze, residents are taking matters into their own hands. >> people should stay inside. don't be outside. it's not worth it. >> reporter: up to eight inches of snow expected to hit the northeast. already hundreds of flights have been canceled. and this is why people are being asked to exercise extreme caution so they're taking to the roads today -- especially as the snow turns into freezing rain. back to you. >> all right. morgan, thank you. >> be careful. dave, what more can we expect from the snowstorm. >> a lot of people want to know when it all ends. the problem is we've got a good road ahead of us before we can say it's over. let's look at things now. as you see, as we begin and take a look at the wide map from the northeast to the midwest to the upper plains and all the way into the rockies, we have bad weather which is affecting so

many people. morgan mentioned 150, 155 million people. the i-95 corridor right now. boston, hartford, new york, all seeing snow. as we head to philadelphia and washington, d.c., frozen precipitation, freezing rain, sleet. stretching back to the west. there we have another batch of problems. to the midwest and northern plains. we see so many people affected by icy conditions and heavy snows. the area around minneapolis getting a lot of snow yesterday. now all of that moving eastward through sections of illinois into michigan, the ohio valley, icy conditions to keep track of. and as we head into the next 24 hours, snow turns to rain in the northeast, and we see storms developing across the southeast. sunday, baghdad wasunday a big . a tough go into the beginning of next week because folks will be getting another blast of cold weather after that. >> we start to travel. thank you. president obama and the

first family are escaping the cold. they've just arrived in hawaii for their final presidential christmas vacation in honolulu. before they took off, though, president obama held his final news conference of the year, and he had some tough talk for shar now that both the cia and the fbi say they tried to interfere in the election to help donald trump win. nbc's hans nichols is at the white house this morning with more on that. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. before leaving for town, president barack obama spent most of that press conference explaining, defending his own administration's response to their own intelligence assessment that russia was indeed interfering in the u.s. presidential election. he shared this story of how he personally warned vladimir putin, and he hint eed that a me forceful response could come. at his year-end press conference, president barack obama revealed his warning to vladimir putin about interfering in the 2016 presidential election. >> cut it out. there were going to be serious

consequences if he didn't. >> reporter: yet many in his party are frustrated that he didn't do more. and obama's explanation offered little comfort to aggrieved democrats. >> i wanted to make sure that everybody understood we were playing this thing straight. we weren't trying to advantage one side or another. >> reporter: facing the press as reports emerged that the fine now agrees with the cia -- the fbi now agrees with the cia that the russian officials hacking into emails led to the election of donald trump. >> we have not seen evidence of machines being tampered with. so that assurance i can provide. >> reporter: all but confirming an nbc news story that the russian president himself approved the cyberattacks. >> not much happens in russia without vladimir putin. >> reporter: a potential starting point for the senate intelligence committee which announced a hearing into the hacks led by senator richard burr who defended intelligence professionals whose analysis has been questioned by president-elect trump. saying, "unlike many in washington, though, they check

politics at the office door and focus on their mission." before leaving with his family for hawaii for the holidays, a mostly defensive president. but a hint of offense. >> so at a point in time where we've taken certain actions that we can divulge publicly, we will do so. there are times where the message will go -- will be directly received by the russians and not publicized. >> reporter: you know, that was the longest press conference of obama's presidency. he denied opportunities to criticize the successor, giving donald trump a lot of leeway. even declining to criticize him over taking the phone call from taiwan's president saying that the entire foreign policy, everything, needs to be "subject to fresh eyes." craig? >> all right. hans nichols at the white house. thank you. what do the russians think about president obama's tough talk? our chief foreign correspondent, richard engel, is in moscow. what's the reaction there? >> reporter: they seem to be

brushing it off, frankly. there have been no comments from any top officials let alone vladimir putin since the president spoke. it is barely in the newscast here. it is the fifth or sixth item. and when it is brought up at all, it is only described as more of the same, more hysteria from the intelligence agencies, more hysteria from the united states who are still upset that hillary clinton lost the election. one somewhat angry note by a commentator on a state broadcast here in which he said that there was a contradiction in what the president said. on one hand he said that russia is poor, weak, it doesn't produce anything that anyone wants to buy. yet, russia is also accused of using high-tech hacking weaponry to impact the u.s. election. so at this stage, russians are trying at least at an official level to brush it off and not give too much credence to this. an allegation that they have in

the past said was ridiculous. >> all right. richard, thank you. meanwhile, president-elect trump did not bring up russian hacking at his latest thank you tour stop on friday night. it's a subject he's repeated deleon eyed and downplayed -- repettedly denied and downplayed. he makes his final stop on the thank you tour in mobile, alabama. kelly o'donnell with more. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, craig. unlike some of the other campaign-style stops on his post-election tour, in is not one of the surprise victory states for donald trump. it is a place that is home to one of his most loyal supporters, and his choit to be the next -- choice to be the next attorney general of the united states, alabama senator jeff sessions. at these events, donald trump has been talking about his ideas on domestic and foreign policy. he's been sticking with a script that does not include russia. ♪ i'm proud to be an american back in rally mode. >> merry christmas, everyone, merry christmas. [ cheers ]

>> reporter: the president-elect took his thank you tour to orlando, florida, friday night. >> and i love this state. i love the people. i love -- >> reporter: donald trump ignored the controversy over vladimir putin and russia's cyberattack on the u.s. election. hours earlier, president obama urged trump to publicly support the bipartisan investigation. team trump shifted the spotlight back to hillary clinton. >> this wouldn't have happened if hillary clinton didn't have a secret server. >> reporter: however, the hack hit the dnc and a top aide's gmail account and not clinton's home server. in a speech to her campaign donors, clinton said her past criticism of putin's "illegitimate election" made her his target. >> vladimir putin himself directed the covert cyberattacks against our electoral system, against our democracy, apparently because he has a personal beef against me.

>> reporter: clinton blamed putin and the fbi letter about her e-mail investigation for that that letter most likely made the difference in the outcome. >> reporter: preparing to leave the white house, first lady michelle obama hinted at her disappointment over the results in an interview with oprah winfrey. >> see, now we're feeling what not having hope feels like. you know? hope is necessary. it's a necessary concept, and b barrack didn't just talk about hope because he thought it was a nice slogan to get votes. he and i and so many believe that what else do you have if you don't have hope? >> reporter: and the current and future first families do have something in common. we saw that the obamas already in hawaii for their holiday. the trumps will be spending the rest of the holiday season based at their home at palm beach, florida, and from there the

president-elect will continue working on his new administration, but, craig, no idea yet when he will address more fully this issue with russia, vladimir putin, and the hacks on the dnc and our u.s. election. craig. >> kelly in alabama for us. thanks. now to a heartbreaking scene playing out in syria. thousands of people desperately trying to get out of aleppo safely. many parents and children who were turned away and told to go back home on friday because of gunfire as they tried to leave. nbc's bill nealy is inside aleppo. bill, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, craig. good morning, chanel. the level of destruction in the city is really quite extraordinary. this is what four years of war has done to aleppo. this area was under rebel control just a short time ago. al the fighting in the city isn't over yet. there are war planes in the sky as i speak, and civilians are still paying the price. >> reporter: smoke rising this

morning from east aleppo where rebels still hold ground. it's bombardment hasn't stopped. caught in the middle people who thought they were about to escape. they've been gathering to leave the besieged east when militias loyal to president assad opened fire. everyone fled. the cease-fire shattered yet again. desperate people driven back to what the u.n. calls hell. among them 47 children, orphaned by the war. initial reports said they had escaped two days ago, ut about the gunfire forced them back. also, still trapped are 7-year-old banna and her mother fatimah. in desperation appealing to michelle obama. >> i talk to you as a mother. >> reporter: they are surrounded by syrian troops and militias like hezbollah, who handcuff dozens of men leaving yesterday under a peace deal.

their fate unknown. for many who did get out emotional reunions with families they hadn't seen for years. escape from a city in ruins. the prize of the president. the victor in the long war here. there is no sign that those tens of thousands of civilians still trapped will be freed any time soon. no relief for those children just yet. gunfire in the background. craig, chanel. >> so sad. bill, thank you. overnight a disturbing video was released involving a star football player for the university of oklahoma. we want to warn you, though, this video pretty tough to watch. restaurant surveillance footage showed university of oklahoma football player joe mixon in a confrontation with a female student. after she pushes him, he knocks her down and fractures her cheek bone. oklahoma spbded him for the

season. he was charged with a misdemeanor, reached a plea deal that included a suspended sentence, and 100 hours of community service. the video was given by the woman's lawyer to mixon's legal team after a media outlet sued. he apologized to the victim, the team, and the university. he is playing in a bowl game, and he hopes to be drafted by the nfl. now some shocking video of the moment a car plowed into a crowd of people at a bus stop in san francisco. take a look. a busy intersection was plunged into chaos on friday. ten people were injured, including two critically. police are investigating what caused the car to lose control and have not released the status of the driver. if you are trying to get away from the snow, if you are trying to get away from the cold, where would you go? >> florida is the place to go. getting there may be the problem. especially from the northeast and many locations hampered by snow right now. let's take a look at the national maps. frigid blast. yet another one comes our way. the third and most powerful sweeping into the northern plains and upper midwest.

we've got snow through sections of the midwest and great lakes. severe thunderstorms a possibility through the lower mississippi valley. an isolated chance for a tornado. keep that in mind. florida looks terrific, and the west coast dries out. that's a look at our national map. here's a look at what's happening right where you are. zbloon and that's a quick look at the weather. >> thank you. now to a story of true courage. a woman battling cancer who knew her time on this earth was short, but wanted to make a dream come true and that was to

compete on "jeopardy." her shows were taped months ago, and she's currently on a four-day winning streak. sadly, though, she didn't live to see these episodes air, but she's inspired a legion of fans. here's nbc's gotti schwartz. >> this is "jeopardy." >> reporter: in each "jeopardy" introduction cindy kept a straight face and a slight smile. >> from austin, texas, cindy stowell. >> reporter: then she would rattle through daily doubles. >> what is the peach state? >> what is red dawn? >> that's the movie wrrkts. >> reporter: never letting her competitors or audience know about her internal battle. cindy had stage four colon cancer and was in the last months of her life, always intending to donate her final winnings to cancer research, but on the show she joked with alex trebeck over what she did for a li living. >> you write homework questions for -- >> i write homework questions in

science and chemistry and physics. it's this horrible cosmic carmick joke because my mission was to avoid homework as much as possible. >> reporter: her boyfriend of 20 years says cindy always wanted to help others and loved trivia. >> she just kind of had one of these brains that just sort of absorbed everything. >> reporter: she died early this month, just over a week before her first episode aired. pricers of the show honoring her memory on the website saying when she interviewed to be a contestant, she told them she didn't have much longer to live but playing "jeopardy" was a life-long dream. >> it was something that, you know, was really meaningful to her and also to the sort of great to see her kind of have something to fight for. >> reporter: now viewers watching as she fulfills her dream on a "jeopardy" winning streak. >> she wins $22,000. >> reporter: every correct answer raising money so that others with cancer may find a cure. for "today" gotti schwartz, nbc

news, los angeles. still to come, we'll recap the week's most talked about stories, including a dangerous close call in the middle of a yacht race in australia. >> up next, we all know the airport can be a zoo during the holidays, but this is a little ridiculous. we will explain what's going on, but, first, this is "today" on nbc.

>> if you are flying over the holidays, might notice unusual creatures roaming the terminals. >> these therapy animals are there to help travellers out during the stressful holiday travel season. nbc's janet shamliyan has more. >> reporter: in the passenger unloading area this probably isn't what they had in mind. >> i was, like, what are they doing here? >> reporter: at the cincinnati northern kentucky airport these

two have elite status. >> they're beautiful. >> reporter: and they walk the terminal like celebrities. >> i know. it's adorable, right? it's the holidays, and they look so cute with the antlers and everything on. it's really cute. >> reporter: in a season of over sold flights, short tempers and long lines, miniature horses are the airport's designated stress busters. >> therapy animals help to ease those anxiety levels, put smiles on faces, and we are in kentucky, after all, so we thought why not give horses a try? >> reporter: trainer lisa moad saw how happy they made children at cancer centers she took them to and thought she would do the same for harried travellers. >> were you surprised when the airport said, yeah, bring them in? >> honestly, yeah, yeah. they were so enthusiastic. it's, like, whoa. i wasn't ready for that. here we are. runcht >> reporter: moad says the horses are gentle and they become supper a hit you can find them all over social media. >> does this mean he likes me or he thinks i have food? >> a little bit of both. >> reporter: if you think colts

on the concourse are a little crazy, the san francisco airport has gone whole hog. it's got a therapy pig. >> i see an animal, and i just -- my spirits are lifted automatically. >> reporter: barnyard animals in the terminal. giving new meaning to calling a busy airport a zoo. >> what a beautiful holiday spirit. you go, cincinnati. >> reporter: for today janet shamliyan, nbc news, cincinnati. >> how about that? >> it is a great idea. >> there are times when i'm traveling in the airport with three kids, and they're running all over the place and it's so stressful, but i imagine a miniature horse -- you go, you know what, let me just slow down and just enjoy this for what it is. >> huh? >> i like it. >> still ahead here on a saturday morning on "today." >> guess he doesn't agree. >> i'm glad your kids are hanging out with horses in the airport. a santa mall experience like you've never had. why just getting your picture taken with the big fellow doesn't seem to be good enough

these days. then a pop star that magical day when michael phelps and his beautiful bride nicole said "i joining us. i'm kris sanchez with vianey (v-n- a) arana with a look at your microclimate forecast. kira/2shot ==kris/vo= take a look at this cell phone video -- of a fire in a 12-story

. ♪ ♪ on a rise to the top we're book this saturday morning, december 17th, 2016, with "ellen's" take on "home alone." you can see here some christmas classics with dancing, of course. wo we'll show you more. meanwhile, it's a bitter morning here in new york city. also, bitter in so many parts of the country. our thanks, our huge thanks to that great crowd that's outside braving the temperatures, braving the wind and snow. we're going to get outside to say hello in just a bit. the weather, they're topping our

look at what's making headlines on this saturday morning. 150 million people under some sort of winter weather advisory today. temperatures dropping to 20 below in some places and feeling like negative 40 with the wind chill. there's also snow and icy conditions to contend with. the northeast getting hit this morning. dave will have that forecast in just a few moments. president obama and the first family have landed in hawaii for the final christmas vacation of his presidency befo. before leaving for the trip the president held his final news conference for the year where he told reporters about the warning he gave to vladimir putin about interfering with the 2016 election. the president telling russia to stop or there would be serious consequences. the memorial service will be held today at ohio state university for astronaut john glen. vice president joe biden is among those scheduled to speak. friday mourners from across the country stopped by to honor the american hero at a public viewing inside ohio's statehouse. now to the download. our recap of a busy week that

saw a controversial pick for the secretary of state and the cia insisting russia was involved with hacking to affect the election, and stranger things that children are getting as an early holiday present. >> reporter: the u.s. election under attack. nbc news can report that vladimir putin was personally involved in the russian attempt to disrupt the u.s. election. the stunning revelation comes after the cia's recent assessment that the russian government wanted to elect donald trump. an assessment the president-elect has rejected. >> i think it's ridiculous. i think it's just another excuse. i don't believe it. >> reporter: filling out his cabinet. mr. trump's pick for secretary of state exxonmobil ceo rex tillerson drawing a mix of support and opposition. >> the pick of the exxonmobil ceo praised by republicans, including condoleezza rice, who has business ties to exxon, but also others like bob corker. still, some key gop senators wary of tillerson's ties with

russia. marco rubio saying he has serious concerns. >> reporter: a dramatic day in a south carolina courtroom with a guilty verdict for the man accused of the charleston church massacre. >> fuelled by racism, he walked into their sanctuary and opened fire. this afternoon a jury found dillon roof guilty of 33 federal counts, including hate crimes. >> i knew it was going to be guilty, guilty, guilty. >> reporter: felicia sanders, one of just three survivors that awful night, who testified during the trial how she watched roof take her 26-year-old son tuanza. >> reporter: an incredibly close and scary call during a yacht race in australia. >> watch this closely. the yachts, these are big yachts, speeding through a harbor, but nobody told these other pleasure bolters that this race was happening. >> oh, my god. >> that's a ferry that first body. look how close this is. >> it looks like battleship. >> i know. >> reporter: a huge day for all of this year's golden globe nomine nominees.

with one cast unable to contain its excitement. >> one of this year's break-out shows is "stranger things" on netflix. the sci-fi series is led by a young cast. when their show got nominated, they did not hide their joy. >> "stranger things." [ cheering ] >> reporter: and an incredible moment in louisiana when high school senior brendan gosche finally heard from his college of choice. >> when it came time to open the e-mail from cornell university, they gathered up family, friends, and even classmates all together athe his side. here's what happened. [ cheering ] >> reporter: and no downtime for dylan whose husband is keeping her on her toes. >> she's supposed to give birth any day now. well, she's not the only one who is ready for that little baby to come out. her husband, brian, is too. he tried this, you guys. he tried to scare her into going

into labor. >> go into labor! >> oh, my god. you can't scare me like that. >> did it happen? did it work? >> no. >> no. >> they need their own reality show. >> i checked in with her last night. i asked her is baby -- no baby. >> did you see on instagram she's posting, like, these corn flake holiday treats with marshmallows and corn flakes. i'm, like, really, dylan? a little red hot on the top. >> there are a certain kind of cream cheese they think can induce labor. >> send that to her. >> she's tried everything. power walking, peld cudicures. >> there are all sorts of things -- >> it's today. >> it's today. >> now is the time. now is the time to do this. >> lots of cold. lots of snow. >> oh, man. yeah. let's labor over to the weather and take a look at it right now. everyone, it is chilly through so much of the country right

now. our third round and perhaps the strongest round of cold air coming in via the siberian express, and a wind chill warning and advisories affecting 35 million people. it is going to be a tough go as we head not only today but through tomorrow and into monday across the country. look at these current conditions. wind chills, 21 below in helena. 38 below in billings. 23 below in pierre, bismarck at 30 below, and all of this cold air continues to seep eastward. as we head into sunday, minneapolis, bundle up. you're used to the cold. not like this. 43 below with a wind chill. 28 below. i hear you guys moaning over at the desk. that's how painful it is. as we head into the east coast, we are going to see more of this cold air begin to seep on through the great lakes area as we head into monday. that's a quick l

. we are still currently under that frost advisory and that has been extended. originally from 8:00 a.m. today to 8:00 a.m. on sunday. now, those temperatures right now across the bay area are in the cold, chilly 30s. we aren't expecting to climb much further than that. our highs will remain in the upper 40s, lower 50s across the bay area and once again, if you do have pets outdoors, please make sure to bring them inside and of course take care of those plants. >> that's a quick look at the weather. >> 23 below? >> tough to get your head around that. >> that's tough to get your head around. >> stay inside and bundle up where. >> that's right. >> thank you. >> up next on his 80th birthday, exploring how pope francis became the man he is today giving millions of catholics renewed faith. that's right after this. , that'. so graceful. the corkscrew spin, flawless...

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for pope francis. it's his 80th birthday. the man who has really changed the face of the papacy had an unusual rise. he came from a working class family in argentina. mark shriver wrote a new book called "pilgrimage, my search for the real pope francis." good to see you again. >> thank you for having me. >> why a book about the pope, and why now? >> there are so many interesting questions about him, right? i mean, you just said he was an unusual rise to power. here's a guy who became head of at 36, and a little over a decade later was exiled. had a great interior crisis. a guy who is the first jesuit ever elected pope, and jesuits make a commitment to never rise to higher office. how did he become bishop, cardinal, and then pope? it's an amazing story. they're supposed to rat each other out, as one jesuit told me. if you want to have a better job, you are supposed to report that guy. i dug in, talked to people. not the big shots. not cardinals and government

officials. people that know him best. and some of miss his detractors. >> what thing surprised you most about this pope? >> that's a good one. there are so many amazing stories. you know, people like the trash collector who was invited to sit in the front section of the papal mass when he was made pope. i think the thing that surprised me the most is the fact of how committed he is to god. i mean, that may sound obvious to the pope, but he is often pictured as the guy that you would like to invite over for thanksgiving -- that uncle you would like to invite for thanksgiving dinner, but he is deadly serious about it. he wants you to have a more intimate relationship with god. that is clear. that is the focus of his life. >> you had dinner with some priests at a college where he was a rektctor many years ago. he said when folks come back at the end of the day with clean shoes, that would really bother him. why? >> because he wanted you to get out and get the mud on your shoes. that meant he wanted you to

smell like the sheep that you were supposed to be pasturing, and he wanted those young jesuits to go out and walk through the potholes, get the mud on their shoes, and if they came back and they didn't have mud, that meant that they were upstairs taking a nap or they were studying. he said you don't fall in love with ideas or philosophies. you fall in love with people. he wanted those novices to learn that. >> he was during the presidential campaign once or twice we heard from the pope. he was critical of donald trump at one point as the president-elect spent some time talking about building that wall. he said in part, "a man that is saying that this is not a christian." do you think that pope francis is going to be critical of a president trump? >> i think pope francis is -- you can't put him in a box. he is not a democrat or republican or a liberal. he is not a progressive or conservative. he is really talking about the says message of jesus christ, and i think if you don't want to do that, if you want to build walls, he is going to criticize

that. he criticized the power structure in argentina, and i think he will do that regardless of whether it was president-elect trump or mrs. clinton. he is pushing forward an agenda that's trying to bring us all together, and if you want to build walls, he is going to criticize it. >> mark shriver, a fascinating read. happy holidays. >> same to you. up next, our producers will try to stump up once again with a game of holiday movies. a game of holiday movies. real or 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. hey!reens presents, a holiday mini miracle.

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all right. we are back on a saturday morning, and, dave, this is the time of the show that our producers like to test our knowledge. >> this is also the time when she dances like that. >> i love that. >> test our knowledge on everything. since we're in the middle of the holiday season, they put together a game called holiday movies, real or fake? i'll read the description of a movie, and we'll have to know whether it's real or fake. you can play along at home. the first one, this movie title is "the town christmas forgot." the s after their car breaks down in the dilapidated town of nowhere, colorado, the family learns christmas is more than about material possessions. what's the answer? >> that's a real one? >> no way. what? >> we start out on that note? >> next up, a very scary

christmas. here's what this one is about. after moving to a new town during the holiday season, a young boy discovers a ghost living in the attic of his home despite initial fear. the boy and the ghost eventually become friends. >> that's fake. that's fake. >> i'm going to say real. >> real. that sounds like a great -- fake? >> look at that. i can spot a fake. >> third time is the charm. how about this one? holiday in handcuffs. >> that was dave's last week. >> in this movie a waitress kidnaps one of her customers and brings him home to meet her parents at christmas. he agrees to pretend that they're a couple. >> oh, you know, that sounds real. >> brings new meaning to the word real or fake. >> i'm going to say real. what's the answer? it is. >> oh, wow. >> we have to do some movie watching. >> apparently. >> this one just sounded -- >> still to come, the souped up santa experience. malls going high-tech to get you away from the computer and into their stores. first, this is "today" on nbc.

still ahead on "today" the one item that you can eat at lunch that could help you lose a lot of weight. >> i'm listening. plus, the surprise of a lifetime for actress octavia spencer when she went to screen her new movie at the white house. wait until you see what happened. first, these messages. achoo!

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good saturday morning. take a live look outside at downtown san jose, christmas in the park, all dressed up. what you can't tell from this picture, though, is how cold it is. and it's dangerously cold. thanks for joining us. i'm kris sanchez, along with

vianey arana, looking at that microclimate forecast and if people are going out to christmas in the park or really anywhere they're going to have to bundle up. >> definitely. we've issued a microclimate weather alert because of these almost freezing temperatures, especially in your tri-valley. we are seeing the 30s. these are your current temperatures right now. san francisco, 36, out near fremont 34 and we could be seeing some 20s, walnut creek at about 28 degrees. that means we have seen that freeze warning that has been in effect since last night and was originally supposed to expire today but they actually have extended that freeze warning until 8:00 a.m. tomorrow and that's because tonight we could be dropping to about 27 degrees for areas like the north bay and the tri-valley and of course we do have the freeze advisory and that's for parts of san francisco, which is also expected to drop down into the 30s, so please bundle up and stay indoors if you can. >> and do be careful. don't start driving until you know that your windshield is

clear. thanks, vianey take a look at this fire in a 12-story building in san francisco. that started on the 7th floor near san francisco state. fire crews were quick to put it out, only took them about 15 minutes but now the red cross is helping two people whose unit was damaged. no one was hurt. firefighters say they don't know how it started. broking legs and head injuries after a driver plowed her car into a crowded bus stop during the busy lunchtime hour. ten people were hurt. at the top of your screen, you see security camera video capturing that car driving into that crowded bus stop on stockton street. the impact of the crash shattered the bus shelter glass and mangled the metal. witnesses say the driver hit at least two cars before slamming into people who were just standing on the sidewalk. >> i just saw the cop.

there was really hit the bus stop. >> i just jumped to the corner along the sidewalk and then i looked back, i saw the car crashed. >> police are investigating why that driver ended up on the sidewalk, but emergency crews took those ten people to the hospital. four of them still have serious injuries this morning, but they are all expected to survive. coming up this morning on "today in the bay," the refund isn't just company policy, it is the law. nbc bay area responds when a couple cannot get their money back for their hearing aids. that and all the rest of the day's news coming up at 7:00 and more on the forecast too.

good morning. bone chilling. a dangerous cold sweeping across the country today. temperatures in the midwest feeling like 40 below with the windchill. 150 million people under a winter storm advisory from colorado into the northeast. snow and ice leaving drivers in distress. and the worst may not even be here yet. pie in the sky. a group of british scientists take this pie loaded with meat and potatoes into space. all for the sake of research, but what exactly are they trying to prove? and a new santa experience with christmas eight days away,

retailers are kicking it up a notch doing whatever they can to get more shoppers into the stores. one way to do that, change the way the kids meet santa. how they're using new technology to do just that, today, saturday december 17th, 2016. ♪ >> from california. >> hi, mom. >> hi, peanut. >> merry christmas. >> it's my 18th birthday. >> ours too. happy birthday! >> we've got "today" show's newest fan. >> good saturday morning. do not throw a snowball at me. >> we're in the elements to

spend some time with the roud this morning. >> you guys are great. it's packed out here this morning. >> man, and those folks from miami, they've got to be hating life. >> oh! >> do you want me tote get him? should i get him back? >> please don't get me. >> yes. >> a little revenge. >> there we go. of course the weather folks are talking about, the blanket of snow affecting tens of millions of people. let's check in with nbc's morgan radford in new york with more on this wild weather. good morning to you. >> reporter: craig, good morning. 150 million people across the country waking up to a winter weather advisory. that's as this snow, weather ad. that's as this sn and a dangerously cold windchill sweeps the country, already causing some islesy roads and dangerous pileups in states like

oklahoma, also in minnesota, where we've seen over 500 accidents in less than 24 hours. and now this wintry mix, it's slamming the northeast as we speak, up to 8 inches of snow expected over the course of this weekend. already hundreds of flights have been canceled. but the reality, craig, is that this arctic blast is just the beginning. we're expected to see record low temperatures in cities across the country like in pierre, south dakota, in minneapolis, in chicago, even in bismarck, and so that's why experts are telling people if they're especially heading out on the road today, they should budget extra time to get where tay ear going and be sure to bundle up, layer up, an cover up. >> morgan radford, thank you. dave price, how are things looking for the rest of the weekend, good sir? >> well, all across the country we have some significant weather challenges. let's go to the maps. how do you like that, huh? i don't want to make anyone sad on this saturday morning but stretching all the way from the rockies across the upper

midwest, the midwest, and into the northeast where we're seeing snow right now, sleet and freezing rain from philadelphia down to d.c. and take a look at this. advisories and warnings and watches stretching all the way from the plains to the mississippi valley, and on to and through the east and northeast. as we take a look at the maps through today, snow and rain for most of the northeast. storms two-point across the southeast as we head through the day today. could see some isolated severe weather in sections of the lower mississippi valley, and sunday we see some early ice and snow for that area, and then that pushes through. we see showers along the eastern seaboard and the gulf coast and another batch of bitterly cold air is on its way in. that's a quick look at your weather picture. >> all right, dave. thank you. let's take it inside for a moment. thank you, guys. soaking rain is the problem in southern california. this morning there are power outages, flooding, and the threat of landslides. take a look, mud-covered roads

that led to numerous accidents and a water rescue. firefighters plucked two women from an island in the san gabriel river. one woman refused to go without her dogs so the rescue team helped them too. president obama landed in hawaii overnight after giving what could be the final press conference of the year. the president says he told russia's vladimir putin to cut it out when he learned of russia's interference in the u.s. election. he said he held back from retaliating against russia during the campaign to avoid the appearance of taking sides, but he hinted there will be a response. >> so at a point in time where we've taken certain actions that we can divulge publicly we will do so. there are times where the message will go -- will be directly received by the russians and not publicized. >> the senate intelligence committee has announced it will continue a bipartisan investigation of russia's involvement in the election.

a firestorm is brewing in north carolina as outgoing republican governor pat mccrory poses limits on his democrat successor, roy cooper. protesters stormed the statehouse friday complaining gop lawmakers were making an unconstitutional power grab. mccrory signed a new law friday to stop cooper from appointing a majority of democrats to the elections board. cooper on the election by less than 1% of the vote. mccory didn't concede until nearly a month after election day. there is a pie in britain that can truly lay claim to being out of this world. gathered in the parking lot of a local pub, a couple of admitted space geeks launched a meat and potato pie 29 miles in the air until it reached the rim of outer space. and then, as all things do, it came back down. the pie hurtled back to the earth at speeds of um to 100 miles per hour. no one has had the courage to taste it, but they think a sheep

took a bite out of it when the pie landed. not kidding. how crazy is that? >> how crazy is that. we've got a development here we want to let nobodies know about. >> this just in. >> this just in a few moments ago. dylan dreyer apparently i've been told at the hospital. >> i think she was en route and now she's there? is that it? i see teem going like this on the side. >> only dylan dreyer would give birth in a snowstorm on her due date. >> today is her actual due date. she is very accurate. >> we're efforting some video. when we have that to pass along, we'll git to you. dave price with another check of the forecast. what's the word, buddy? >> i want to make sure everyone heard. guys, guy, dylan is on her way to the hospital! we've got a great scene out here. now, of course, you don't like to travel in this weather, but when that you have christmas tree behind us and people who have come to visit from all across the united states, there's no more beautiful

weather in the world, is there? let's take a look at the maps and see what's happening across the country. another frigid blast comes our way, the third and the strongest yet dropping temperatures and windchills well below the subzero mark. as we take a look at the rockies through the midwest, we're talking about some strong snows rolling through. as we head into tomorrow, a real warm-up for the eastern seaboard. lake-effect snows right by the great lakes. heavy rain for sections of the southeast. dry and nice conditions for much of the west. that's a quick look at our good morning, bay area. we are waking up to a microclimate weather alert and that's because we do currently have freeze warning and advisories across the bay area. here are your current temperatures. san francisco, 36 degrees, san jose, 33, out near walnut creek, 28 degrees, and we are expecting this freeze warning to remain in effect until 8:00 a.m. for parts of the north bay and down to the south bay as well.

we do have freeze advisories for areas like san francisco, those temperatures are expected to remain in the 30s, climbing to the 40s and 50s. >> i think we have a snowy marriage proposal right here. holy cow. that's a great way to start a saturday. this is unbelievable. we'll send it back inside to you, guys. >> that's fun. >> hopefully she says yes. >> wow. >> hopefully. hopefully she does. we'll try to get katie too. hey, so look who is on her way to the hospital. dylan dryer apparently just hours away from giving birth. some fresh video just in. >> look at brian's smile. >> that's a happy brian. >> i love that. >> hang with us this morning. then a beautiful oceanside marriage for michael phelps and his stunning bride. the video from the couple's big day after these messages. (man) my dad and i have the same eyes. same nose. same toughness. and since he's had moderate alzheimer's disease,

the same never quit attitude. that's why i asked his doctor about once-a-day namzaric. (avo) namzaric is approved for moderate to severe alzheimer's disease in patients who are taking donepezil. it may improve cognition and overall function, and may slow the worsening of symptoms for a while. namzaric does not change the underlying disease progression. don't take if allergic to memantine, donepezil, piperidine or any of the ingredients in namzaric. tell the doctor about any conditions including heart, lung, bladder, kidney or liver problems, seizures, stomach ulcers, or procedures with anesthesia. serious side effects may occur, including muscle problems if given anesthesia; slow heartbeat, fainting, more stomach acid which may lead to ulcers and bleeding; nausea, vomiting, difficulty urinating, seizures, and worsening of lung problems. most common side effects are headache, diarrhea, dizziness loss of appetite, and bruising. (man) dad and i shared a lot of moments. now we're making the most of each one. (avo) ask about namzaric today.

♪ i said i really can't stay ♪ baby it's cold outside ♪ i have to go away ♪ baby it's cold outside ♪ i really can't stay ♪ baby it's cold outside! you never know who you'll meet at barnes & noble.

you're probably wondering why thai've just carvedng! 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. ♪ we are back on a soort morning with what's trending today. this first one is sure to be trending in mere minutes. it's the moment we've been waiting for. dylan is in the hospital. today is her official due date, and her husband, brian, sent us this video. take a look as they made their way to the hospital. >> oh. >> what's your name, sir?

he is the man. he is getting us there. we're having a we'll check in in a little bit. >> love you. bye. >> i think she made him hang up. they're in a new york city cab. >> only in new york city are you taking a cab to deliver a baby. clearly she's in the back seat, and he is riding in the front. >> in the snow. >> that is awesome. >> we can tell thaw she's at the hospital. that much we can tell you. >> that is hilarious. >> beyond that -- >> we're sending a live unit right now. >> we've got two stations out front of the hospital. when that happens, we'll bring it to you live on the "today" show. good luck to you, dylan dreyer. good luck to you as well, brian. here's something to warm you up on a chilly morning. the next time you eat lunch, try eating some soup with it. it could help you eat less later on. there's new research out that shows that people who ate soup ate 20% fewer calories and said they felt full after.

why soup you ask? texture is key. apparently thicker liquids like soup digest differently in your body, and tend to cause the stomach to expand a bit making you feel more full for a long period of time. >> what about salt? >> i would think the salt -- >> sodium. >> it warms up and you feel full. >> all soup -- >> that part, people go on the soup diet. >> 2016 has been one for the record books. especially when it comes to sports. "time" has released their best sports images of the year. here's a few have our favorites. starting with king james. recordbreaking gold medalist katie ledeckey made the cut. here's the moment when she led the pack in the women's freestyle final. this image sees the fastest man in the world usain bolt looking back at his competition. he makes it look so easy. then, of course, this one. finally bill murray made the cut with his beloved cubs won the world series. murray getting emotional on the field. it certainly says it all.

a long wait for that. >> a long wait indeed. >> hi, guys. >> how perfect is it that dylan is going into labor on her due date? she's the most punctual person in the world. in the snowstorm. we love you, dylan. let's get to pop stars, guys. they say a picture is worth 1,000 words, but i don't think there is one to adequately describe the look on octavia spencer's face after getting a surprise visit from the president at a special screening of the latest movie "hidden figures." look at that. the first lady hosted the screening at the white house, but everything stopped for spencer when president obama strolled in to greet the cast, and lucky for us, the oscar winner's priceless reaction, and i mean priceless, was posted to instagram for us all to see. in case you were wondering, the first lady praised the film and its stars, calling janelle mones

her other little child. it's no secret ellen degeneres loves to dance. it's also no secret that people love to watch holiday movies this time of year. well, if you are anything like ellen, perhaps you were wondering what movies like elf, home alone, and other holiday classics would be like if dancing played a central role. well, wonder no more. ♪ >> oh, many i gy god. that's your proof that dancing makes everything better. >> a philosophy i stand by. i know you do too. >> absolutely. >> moving on, guys, finally, michael phelps knows a thing or two about making headlines. well, the olympian is doing it again. releasing never before seen footage and photos from his october wedding to wife nicole johnson. the 51 second video shared with brides.com starts with a shirtless phelps. his bride then looks absolutely stunning. the two go for a walk on the beach, arrive in a golf cart with some celebrating in between. in case you guys are missing

boomer in the video, no worries. there are pictures of him on-line. >> here's the ring bearer. >> so cute. >> that's your pop start. still to come, how retailers are using santa, technology, and new adventures through the door. first, this is "today" on nbc. >> i think you should do the weather dance.

with just eight days going until christmas, retailers hoping that shoppers will head into the stores to make those last minute purchases. >> one way of getting people through the door is by upping their game. jolene kent is here with how high-tech santas are helping out the stores' bottom lines. >> you guys might remember, i know, craig, you have two little ones. getting the picture on santa's knee can be a nightmare. now there's no santa in town, and retailers across the country are hoping he will deliver the

best gift for them. a strong bottom line. >> reporter: it's the stuff christmas memories are made of. the annual pilgrimage to the mall to get that photo of the kids with santa. but this year malls across america are rolling out a new north pole with a high-tech santa and erns. >> you have a younger generation of kids that have certainly become accustomed to technology. you mix two really great things together. santa and technology. >> reporter: at short hills mall in new jersey sanity's flight academy starts before you even arrive. kids sign up on-line for custom badges. >> code name marshmallow specialty light director. >> yeah. >> reporter: and choose what their elf will wear as he or she guides them to santa. upon arrival kids walk into a 3,000 square foot adventure. try on their new flight suit in augmented reality. decide which route santa will take on christmas eve. >> you want him to take the southern route. >> reporter: and give the old

man some encouragement. and end with a snowy trip to the north pole. the souped up santa is part of a new trend of mall experiences. special events and services like conci concierge and vip campaign suites to attract you and your money away from computers and into stores. the stakes couldn't be higher for retailers. according to the national retail federation, about ten million more americans shopped on-line than in stores over black friday weekend. so this year malls are betting on chris cringele to make their christmas bright, and according to our exclusive interview, he is on board. >> technology has changed everything. we now have the good and nice list on electronics. >> reporter: parents are grateful for an updated experience too. >> when my older drawers were little and i would bring them, and it was just wait in line, sit on santa's lap, get the picture taken. it wasn't as fun as this.

this was great. >> how much fun did you have in there? >> a lot of fun. >> reporter: so if your kids love santa as much as will ferrell in the movie "elf." >> santa! oh, my god! >> reporter: braving the crowds at the mall may be worth it. but in the end even high-tech santa still loves an old-fashioned gift that money can't buy. >> i still like looking at the parents and seeing the smiles. the smiles make everybody's day. >> okay. so santa's flight academy costs about $30 in total. you can also, of course, track santa on norad. there's lots of ways. i have to say in my exclusive interview with him, he is all about tech. he loves it. he is fully embracing it. >> which list did he put you on? naughty or nice? >> i'm pretty sure i'm on the nice list, but i'm not sure about you, craig. just kidding. everyone here is on the nice list. >> we should mention you are filling in for willie tomorrow. what's coming up on "sunday

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coming up next, on today in the bay .... vo a bay area bowling ally becomes a crime. what police are sayi good morning. coming up next on "today in the bay," a bay area bowling alley becomes a crime scene, what police are saying about a shooting in the parking lot. plus these folks thought it was a joke but what happened next forced them to grab what they could and flee this high-rise in san francisco. and a freeze warning as people in the bay area bundling up this weekend but we do have some safety measures you'll want to know while you stay warm. "today in the bay" starts in just two minutes. take a live look outside......

san jose - communications good morning to you, and taking a live look outside, this is our view from san jose's communication hill, and you can see lots of blue sky there, no clouds. that means our blanket did not trap in the heat. microclimate weather alert in effect for you this morning, freezing temperatures all across the bay. thanks for joining us. i'm kris sanchez, along with vianey arana, who's been very busy this morning because w