well. we'll cover that for you during the "today" show. >> very cold in the bay area. bundle up. we'll see you with our next local news update in half an hour. a 23-year-old pakistani refugee being questioned this morning about whether he was the driver who plowed a truck into a crowded christmas market in berlin. at least 12 people killed, dozens injured, and authorities w suspect it was terrorism. while in turkey, investigators try to figure out what motivated a 22-year-old police officer to assassinate a russian ambassador in front of a terrified crowd. we have live reports this morning. exit interview. first lady michelle obama sits down with oprah for a revealing conversation about her eight years in the white house.

>> knowing that we've made it this far and we've survived and, in many ways i believe we've thrived, there is a weight that's lifted. >> what she's saying about the obama legacy, the 2016 race, and whether she would ever consider running for office. caught on tape. a never-before seen interrogation video of accused murderer robert durst. >> if i tell you what i know and that answers your questions, what can you possibly do for me? >> why his attorney is furious over its release. and the candid prince. prince harry opens up in a revealing new interview about the death of his mother, princess diana. >> i never really dealt with what had actually happened so there was a lot of buried emotion. >> why he says after years of

grief, that tragedy brought new meaning to his life "today," tuesday, december 20th, 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 tuesday morning. hoda kotb joining us while savannah continues on maternity leave. good to have you here. let us get right to our top story this morning. security being stepped up across europe in the wake of those deadly attacks in germany and in turkey. we'll begin in berlin where a suspect deliberately rammed a truck into a crowd of holiday shoppers. investigators are still at that scene right now removing that truck overnight. nbc's anne thompson is in berlin for us. anne, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. just moments ago, a somber chancellor angela merkel visited the attack site, for the people she assumes are victims of

terror. police this morning towing away the truck that last night was a mass murder weapon when it was driven in a murderous rampage into a berlin christmas market. a suspect seen here with his head covered was arrested and is being questioned by police. local media identified him overnight as a 23-year-old migrant who arrived from pakistan via austria nearly a year ago and who was already german officials confirming the suspect is a man from pakistan who entered germany in december 2015, turned up in berlin in february and allied for asylum. however, this morning a newspaper is quoting a senior police chief as saying, "we have the wrong man, and, therefore, a new situation." a passenger in the truck was pronounced dead at the scene. he's believed to be the original

driver of the truck. police said the driver crashed into the crowd intentionally. the truck hurled into the market at speed without warning and with deadly force, killing 12 people and injuring up to almost 50 more, barrelling through the market at 40 miles per hour. amateur video at the scene showing chaos. onlookers horrified. >> it was right in front of us, it was so close, crashing through people, crashing through the huts. it pulled the lights down, went dark. >> reporter: victims taken away on stretchers, a happy christmas market turned into a nightmare, while on social media messages of condolence say pray for germany. german authorities say no one has claimed responsibility for the attack today. all christmas markets in berlin are closed. matt, back to you. >> anne thompson in berlin, thank you very much. shawn henry, former executive

assistant director with the fbi. good to see you, good morning. >> good morning, matt. >> it's striking the similarities between this attack in berlin and what happened in nice, france. and it appears terrorists have settled on a formula that's very effective for them, and yet a tactic that's very deadly for innocent civilians. >> that's right, matt. you know, the isis leadership have called for extremists to take up whatever weapon they can against the west. you don't have to come to the middle east, you don't have to come to syria or iraq. if you can't get your hands on a bomb or a weapon, use whatever you have at your disposal. these vehicles are ubiquitous. they are not illegal to have, easy access and anybody that can drive can potentially use this as a weapon to inflict mass casualties, matt. >> i think your point is a really good one because when we see sophisticated plots, sean, we're troubled by how any group of people could put something

like that together. but it's almost the opposite here. it's the simplicity of this that's so disturbing. >> no, that's exactly right. anybody who wants to support the cause can do it with relative ease. they don't need a lot of training. they don't need the ability to use a sophisticated weapon. and they can support the cause by using relatively simple tactics here. we also see the ease of which people can be radicalized with the use of social media, the ability to reach into people's living rooms wherever they are to touch those that may be disenfranchised and easily susceptible to the islamic rhetoric, matt. >> and shawn, it begs the question as we are in the middle of the holiday season in this country, and there are gatherings in cities and towns across the country, how do you even begin to protect against something like this here at home short of barricading every gathering or stationing heavily armed law enforcement officials

at every time we bring together a group of celebrants? >> you are exactly right. certainly that is not the society that we want to live in. but we saw what happened over thanksgiving in new york where there were concerns that there might be an attack similar to what we saw in nice. there were barricades that were put up. the nypd and the fbi, terrorism task force, they coordinated to have sanitation vehicles blocking certain intersections. we know terrorists are constantly looking for these mass gatherings, they are looking for symbolic celebrations. they're looking to hit soft targets where there's little to no security. this requires the abilities of law enforcement and intelligence communities to try to identify in advance so that they can intervene and mitigate the actors before they can launch these types of attacks because you're not going to be able to defend against every time of attack, particularly in an open society that we live in here, matt. >> shawn henry, thank you very much.

appreciate it. now to another shocking scene of terror caught on camera. we should warn you, the images are very graphic and disturbing. russia's ambassador to turkey assassinated by a gunman as he spoke at an art exhibition. nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel has the latest on that investigation. good morning, richard. >> reporter: good morning, hoda. russia and turkey have agreed to cooperate, a team of russian investigators has arrived here in turkey to try and figure out if this assassin was working on his own or was part of a group. as flowers are placed by the russian embassy today, security has been tightened in ankara, especially in areas that are now seen as potential targets. including the u.s. embassy. last night an older man armed with a shotgun tried and failed to enter the american embassy firing the weapon in the air. his motives are unclear. he was arrested by turkish police and the state department

said no staff was hurt. that incident came just hours after, and only a couple of miles away from, the well-planned assassination of russia's ambassador to turkey. the ambassador, andrei karlov, was speaking at an art exhibit. that's the assassin behind him, about to shoot him in the back. with the ambassador down, the gunman shouted "god is great" in arabic and "we are those who profess loyalty to mohammed and the jihad." as journalists feared for their lives, the gunman said the assassination was revenge for the russian and syrian military offensive in aleppo. the assassin, who was killed in a shoot-out by police, was later identified as a turkish policeman, off duty at the time. turkish authorities say he used his credentials to enter the russian-sponsored exhibit, blend in with security personnel and attack. the street where the russian ambassador was killed will be named after him.

the u.s. embassy and the american consulate are closed today for security reasons. matt? >> richard engel, thank you very much. also this morning, we have exclusive new information surrounding the u.s.' response to russia's involvement in the u.s. election. tension between the two nations allegedly came to a head just days before voters headed to the polls. nbc's senior investigative correspondent cynthia mcfadden is here to explain all of that. hey, cynthia. >> good morning. well, determined to stop any russian meddling on election day, at least one of president obama's senior advisors urged him to take a harder line with vladimir putin. according to intelligence officials, offering exclusive details to nbc news, the u.s. even contacted the kremlin directly with a method of communication traditionally used in times of crisis. this morning, nbc news has learned of a rare and highly classified event that occurred just days before the presidential election.

two senior intelligence officials, both non-partisan career officers, tell us on the morning of october 31st, the u.s. transmitted a message directly to the kremlin warning the russians that the u.s. would consider any interference on election day a grave matter. the method of communication, the so-called red phone system, an e-mail line directly linking moscow and washington via secure satellite. according to a senior u.s. official, part of the message reads, "international law, including the law for armed conflict, applies to actions in cyberspace. we will hold russia to those standards." officials say the transmission was prompted by the widespread internet attack on october 21st when millions of americans were blocked from accessing popular websites. though u.s. intelligence now believes the russians were not involved. back in october, it was viewed by some as a possible dry run for a massive attack on election

day. the outage spooked the white house enough to use the hotline reserved for moments of crisis. the system has evolved over the years, originally put in place 53 years ago in the wake of the cuban missile crisis when america and the russians were on the brink of nuclear war. several intelligence officials tell nbc news, using the so-called red phone system signifies just how serious the situation became. but one intelligence official tells nbc news he believes the message from the u.s. was "muddled" with no clear warning about what the consequences might be. and in their response, that same official says the russians were non-committal. senior intelligence officials tell nbc news, before the transmission was sent, president obama was urged by at least one senior advisor to issue the ultimate threat to vladimir putin, that the u.s. would consider meddling on election

day an act of war. but mr. obama opted not to issue a warning that specific believing it would inflame an already-tense situation. what intelligence sources tell us is crystal clear, is that neither the russians, nor any foreign government, intervened in any way on election day. just to be clear, there is not now, nor has there of been an actual red phone. the system is called the nuclear risk reduction center, and the obama administration added a special cyber line back in 2013, and that is what was used here for the very first time. >> fascinating detail in that report, cynthia. thanks so much. the electoral college has made it official, confirming donald trump's election as the next president. this morning first lady michelle obama is opening up in a new interview with oprah winfrey about the presidential campaign, her family's years in the white house, and much more. nbc's kristen welker has that story. hi, kristen, good morning. >> reporter: hi, matt, good morning to you. michelle obama has chosen her

moments in the spotlight very carefully, but now in this interview she is unplugged, incredibly candid about her time in the white house and about what her future may hold. >> reporter: first lady michelle obama opening up like never before about her eight years at the white house. >> knowing that we've made it this far and we've survived and, in many ways, i believe we've thrived, there is a weight that's lifted. >> reporter: in a candid interview with oprah winfrey, the first lady revealing new details about going to bed early on election night, reading the results on her phone the next day. >> this past election was challenging for me as a citizen to watch and experience. it was painful. >> reporter: echoing her husband, mrs. obama stressed the need for a smooth transition now revealing she told the next first lady, melania trump, the door is open, and even looking back at some of her own challenging moments. >> when you were labeled that angry black woman, was that one

of the things that knocked you back a bit. >> that was one of those things that you just sort of thing -- dang! you don't even know me. >> reporter: her exit interview comes as president-elect trump is now one step closer to the white house. on monday, the electoral college voters in every state officially gave mr. trump the 270 votes needed to win, despite protesters who tried to stop it from happening. meanwhile, bill clinton is weighing in on all of it, telling a local new york paper, mr. trump doesn't know much. one thing he does know is how to get angry, white men to vote for him. and accusing fbi director james comey of costing his wife the election. as democrats regroup, some are looking to michelle obama. >> would you ever run for office? >> no. no. >> i have to ask it. >> no. >> no kind of office. >> no. that's one thing i don't do. i don't make stuff up. i'm not coy. i have proven that. i am very direct. if i were interested in it, i would say it. i don't believe in playing games. >> reporter: vacationing here in

palm beach, mr. trump responded to bill clinton saying, "bill clinton stated that i called him after the election. wrong. he called me with a very nice congratulations. he doesn't know much." matt, hoda? >> kristen welker, thank you very much. dave price is in again for mr. al roeker. check of the weather. >> nice to see you guys. we've got some good news. we are finally beginning to see some warmer air makes its way into sections of the country which have been riddled with bitter cold conditions. that cold air now pushing through northern new england where it is 9 below in caribou. everywhere else we are seeing a nice warm-up. believe it or not, chicago at 19 degrees this morning feels a lot better than it did yesterday where temperatures were about 30 degrees below that number. now as we head through the next several days, this warm-up is going to take hold. tomorrow at 5:44 a.m. we'll say hello to winter officially. eastern standard time, that is. and while we do, we see numbers pop in to the 50s and that trend continues through wednesday. 53 degrees in little rock. that's five degrees above normal temperatures.

46 in louisville, at six degrees above the normal average. when have we seen numbers like that? not very frequently over the past several weeks. new york city will get all the way up to 46 degrees. and that number is seven degrees above the normal high temperature. a cold start today through sections of the northeast. we are looking at stormy conditions in the pacific northwest and diminishing santa ana winds, but still upwards of 45 miles per hour as we head to southern california this morning. that is a quick look at the maps. we'll get to your local forecast in just about 30 seconds.

good morning. i'm meteorologist carry hall. still cold across the bay area this morning. more frost as we wake up and head out the door. in san jose it's 35 degrees, below freezing in morgan hill as well as lifr moore. oakland this morning starts out at 39 degrees. it will be milder today. a lot of sunshine and temperatures warming up into the upper 50s. also some low 60s in spots like the south bay and the north bay. san francisco today, 57 degrees. thank you very much. coming up, a never-before seen recording of accused murderer robert durst being interrogated by a prosecutor. why his attorney is outraged over the release of that tape. and new privacy concerns over one of the season's best-selling holiday gifts. are voice activated virtual assistants always listening? alexa? but first, this is "today" on nbc.

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our breaking news - word of a new chief .. for the san a very good morning to you. it is 7:26. i'm laura garcia-cannon. breaking news this morning, word of a new chief for the san francisco police department. right now all the city will officially say is fran mayor ed lee plans to announce a new chief at 11:00 a.m. nbc bay area learned that it is los angeles deputy police chief william scott. we reached out to lapd and the department is not confirming or denying the report first made by the chronicle. city leaders narrowed the search to three finalists including current acting chief toney chaplin. let's get to the forecast. it's cold, kari? >> it is cold, but the sun is shining and that will help warm

temperatures. right now looking at 30s, but heading to 61 in palo alto, san jose and morgan hill. 60 in concord. san francisco, 57 degrees. we are tracking the next storm system. it looks like the wet weather holds off for the next three days. on friday, we will have some rain moving in in time for busy holiday travel. there could be rain late friday into early saturday morning and more rain late on christmas day. we're keeping tabs on all this. in the near term, some dry weather. in san francisco warming up for the middle of the week. the same for the inland areas and we'll be seeing some showers on friday. more on that coming up. let's head to mike for a look at traffic. >> look at this, tuesday. look how easy the drive is. peninsula, a couple of crashes, southbound 280 at west burro. we have a tough crime toward the 380 interchange. crash in lanes northbound 101 at third. southbound shows the slowing must be a distraction. in oakland, slowing in both

directions through downtown. >> stay warm out there. another local news update in half an hour.

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♪ i'll be home for christmas ♪ 7:30 now on this tuesday morning, the 20th of december, 2016. wow. as we pull back, we've got another big crowd out on the chilly plaza this morning. 24 degrees here in new york city. going to warm up slightly today. it's good news, and some more good news -- we've got the music of the legendary tony bennett. he's going to perform for us live in our next hour. we love tony. >> we certainly do. but first, let's get a check of today's headlines. flags are at half-staff across germany this morning after an apparent terror attack in berlin. a driver rammed a truck into a crowded christmas market. a suspect was arrested near the

scene and is being questioned by police. russian officials are heading to turkey to join the investigation into monday's assassination of its ambassador there. he was shot by an off-duty turkish police officer. it happened in front of a crowd of stunned people attending a photo exhibit. the chilling moment captured on camera. that gunman was later killed in a shoot-out with the police. we've seen a new round of evacuations from war-ravaged aleppe. aleppo. 25,000 people have fled the city in recent days. also this morning, an exclusive look at a taped interrogation of real estate heir and accused murderer robert durst. nbc's gadi schwartz is out in los angeles with the latest on this. gadi? >> reporter: good morning, matt. in this newly released videotape and corresponding audio recording we are getting a full picture of the interview between robert durst and a los angeles prosecutor. in these recordings, durst seems open to speaking with the

district attorney, even without his lawyer. after more than two and a half hours of questioning, a frail robert durst sitting across from the prosecutor now charging him with the murder of durst's long-time friend, susan berman. >> i think you want me to go through details of susan. >> i do. >> okay. so now what would i ask for? >> tell me. >> if i tell you those things, i'm pleading guilty. >> reporter: the video and audio of the interrogation were recorded separately and submitted to the court as two different pieces of evidence. nbc news is showing them together for this report. throughout the nearly three-hour interview, durst and the prosecutor go back and forth. the prosecutor asking why durst would agree to be interviewed for the hbo series "the jinx." a documentary that profiled the mysterious deaths of three people in the millionaire's life. >> when i did the interviews for "the jinx," i was on meth the whole time.

i was on meth. >> reporter: but when challenged by the prosecutor, durst said doing meth didn't affect the veracity of his interview. in one of the most pivotal scenes of the documentary, they held up a photo and a letter durst wrote to her years before confronting durst about the similarities. >> can you tell me which one you didn't write? >> no. >> reporter: shortly after -- >> there it is. you're caught. >> reporter: durst caught on a hot mike alone in the bathroom muttering to himself. taking a page from the documentary in the interrogation room, the prosecutor asks the same question. >> can you tell me which one of these you didn't write? >> i couldn't begin to. >> reporter: while denying they were identical, durst did acknowledge they were similar and when asked directly about the deaths of susan berman or his wife, kathleen durst who went missing in 1982, durst responds with this.

>> if you had killed kathie, would you tell me? >> no. >> if you had killed susan, would you tell me? >> no. >> reporter: prompted by the d.a. in texas, durst does discuss killing and dismembering his neighbor in texas, a case in which he was acquitted of murder. >> cutting up that body the way i was doing it was the hard way. cutting through a bone is not easy with anything. >> reporter: and then, before the interrogation ends, durst asks the prosecutor what's in it for him. >> what's going through my mind is, if i tell you what i know, and answer your questions, what can you possibly do for me? >> reporter: durst's attorney is outraged over the release of the interrogation. >> this could very easily affect the jury pool. >> durst denies killing susan, and even though he hasn't been charged in connection with his wife, kathie's murder, he also denies killing her during the

interview. whether these recordings will be allowed in court will now be argued in front of a judge during a hearing for durst tomorrow. hoda? matt? back to you. >> gadi, thank you very much. ari melber is nbc's chief legal correspondent. good morning. two things. does the defense attorney have a right to be outraged that this was released? and, yes, robert durst was read his rights, he was mirandized, so to speak. do you think it will be admissible in court? >> i think a large chunk, if not all, of this will be admissible. this is a good interrogation. that's why it had so much interesting, even salacious information in it, matt. they were arguing in prior motions in court about the veracity and whether he was constitutionally mirandized, did he get his rights. he did. so the lawyers here for mr. durst are arguing out of both sides of their mouth. this was released, in part, because of their old arguments that it wasn't fair. >> he also said in the interview that he was high on meth at the time that this happened. now does that factor in to the

things that he might have said in that room? >> clearly mr. durst shared that claim. we don't even know if it's true, for his own reasons, either to cast doubt in the court of public opinion for anyone who would see this, or for prosecutors trying to make it seem like whatever they saw in that documentary wasn't real. the other fascinating part of this is, what you were witnessing there on that video, a fascinatingly effective interrogation. that's why it's got so much in it. this was a prosecutor who said, well, maybe you didn't kill her. but if you did, how would that go. within an hour you're hearing hypothetical details about these alleged killings. >> at some point he says, if i tell you what happened, give you information about what happened to kathie, the wife, it would amount to pleading guilty. you talk about the skill of the prosecutor, you're left wondering whether robert durst is crazy or crazy like a fox. >> i think that's always been the big question. this is a repeat defendant, a man accused of multiple murders throughout his life who won't shut up.

he talks to documentary makers. he talks to prosecutors. i will say this, through most of his life he's been talking and not going to jail for these murders. >> we'll see what happens. ari, thank you very much. time to get another check of the weather from mr. dave price who is in for al. >> nice to see you guys. let's go out west and take a look at what's happening as we head through sections of oregon and washington. west central oregon, you are looking at heavy rains. that could stretch in to portland where you have flood watches in effect until about 4:00 today. there are avalanche warnings in the cascades. this is part of a really fast-moving system that's going to begin to work its way across. and as it does, we're going to see some high winds stretching all the way into the northern rockies as well. keep in mind, we are going to get a break, although by the time we get to thursday, another storm system begins to roll on through. now what's happening in the rest of the country? let's take a look together and see. a cold start here in the northeast, still brutal but things are going to warm up and we are going to see diminishing santa ana winds as we head to

southern california. better news for the end of the day. that's a quick look at our national maps. here's a look at it is cold this morning, but it will be warming up today. in san francisco expect a high of 57 degrees, 56 tomorrow and also warmer on thursday. rain returns to the bay area on friday, especially late in the evening with the next couple days of dry weather, we get a chance for it to dry out, it will be up to 53 degrees on saturday. with rain moving in, busy travel time and another round in the forecast on sunday, especially late in the day for christmas. >> remember, you can always get your forecast on the weather channel on cable. that's a quick look at your weather this morning. >> all right, dave. coming up you guys, on "trending," keeping the peace. why monopoly says it is opening a special christmas hotline. we're going to explain. >> because you cheat. that's why. >> what? and they are a popular holiday gift but are those voice

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to moderate nausea, vomiting and headache. anti-flu? go antiviral with tamiflu. we're back now, 7:43, with some privacy concerns surrounding some of this year's hottest selling gifts. we are talking about those home assistants sold by sam zamazon google. >> they can answer any question, even turn your lights off and on, and your stereo. turns out -- they are always on, always listening. nbc's tom costello has been looking into that story. >> good morning. they're really cool but they are selling so fast, we couldn't even buy an amazon echo. we had to borrow one. here's a google home. here's hey it works. hey, google, how far is it to the moon? >> the moon is 238,900 miles from earth. >> i think she's off by a mile, but you get the point. it is always on, always listening, no matter what you are saying or what you're doing.

>> santa? this year, must-have for tech geeks and the rest of us. echo from amazon, nicknamed ale alexa. >> you have a dentist appointment at 2:00. >> your flight to portland is delayed by 30 minutes. >> reporter: and google home. >> hey, google, turn the lights out in kevin's room. >> reporter: but here is what you may not realize. that box of artificial intelligence is always listening, waiting for the wake-up words. >> okay, google. >> alexa. >> reporter: in california, the potter family is already hooked on alexa. >> alexa, what day is christmas? >> christmas day will be on sunday, december 25th. >> reporter: answering questions on demand, playing dance music, even singing a song. ♪ oh jingle bells jingle bells jingle all the way ♪ >> part of the family. >> reporter: here's how they work. both devices are always on.

once online, they record your voice print and keep track of your questions. every inquiry is transmitted to a google or amazon server to collect your answer. but all the conversations that don't include alexa or google are supposed to remain offline until you say those key "wake" words. >> alexa, what's the weather today? is. >> currently, in oakland, it is 53 degrees. >> reporter: david pierce writes about artificial intelligence for "wired." >> these companies promise over and over in various specific language that they're not sending any data anywhere until you say that "wake" word. >> reporter: still, once on, the devices are always listening to conversations that could be mundane, financial, or intimate. >> we have nothing really to hide there so i guess i don't really think about that too much. but now i will. >> reporter: both echo and google home light up when the wake word connects them to server. s you can always go and delete

previo queries or hit the mute button. amazon tells nbc news echond a alexa were designed with privacy and security as part of the design, not an afterthought. google says that only stores voice-based queries received immediately after recognizing one of the hot words. >> what a lot of these tech companies have figured out is consumers will pick cool, convenient features over privacy. that's been forever. >> reporter: they can become part of the family. look what happened when one family changed wake-up word from alexa to echo. >> their baby's first words. >> echo. echo. echo. >> echo. there is this incredible computer science behind these devices taking computing really to the next stage. it is an assistant always listening, always there. hey, google, who is matt lauer? >> don't do this. >> according to wikipedia,

matthew todd lauer is an american journalist and host of the "today" show. >> what is his address? >> what are you doing? tom? okay, we've got some questions for you later. >> yes, we do. >> we have one, by the way, in the make-up room. we use it basically as a juke box. >> yeah. we just crank up our tunes. by the way, when your baby's first word is echo, you got to reassess. coming up, why this conversation with hollywood legend jerry lewis is being called the most painfully awkward interview of the year. and carson shows us the surprise that drew that reaction from a college basketball team. right after th

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7:51. let's put some smiles on some faces. carson's over in the orange room. >> have you seen what i'm about to do? it's so good. matt farrell, junior guard on the notre dame basketball team, didn't expect his older brother bo to return home from the surface in afghanistan until february. after the fighting irish's victory over colgate monday night, entire team goes center court and puts their attention up on the jumbotron from a message from bo who's in full military gear. >> this is 1th lieutenant will ferrell wishing notre dame a very merry christmas. congrats on the win. go irish. it starts to pull out and what you really is he's actually not overseas at all. he's inside the arena. he goes on the court there. he is looking for his brother

for a surprise. there's matt. matt is already in tears. watch the embrace happen. i mean a picture says a thousand words. what you don't see, his mom and dad are also right there. the whole thing was set up by grandma. it was such a moment. people on social media absolutely freaking out. david writing these surprises never get old. great job by matt farrell's brother and notre dame setting it up. of course, asked by reporters afterwards if this was the best christmas present ever, matt wasted no time answering -- oh, yeah, by far. i always said this, if they had a channel on cable of military families reuniting, i would watch it 24/7. >> yes. kleenexes with be please, carson. that was beautiful! >> did you get a haircut? >> it does look like it. it is spikier in the front. >> looking sharp. >> thanks, guys. just ahead, prince harry talks about the impact losing his mother had on his life like never before. then, on our series "do you

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good morning. i'm meteorologist carry hall. still very chilly as you head out the door. only 32 degrees now in livermore. below freezing there and in morgan hill as well as santa rosa. we have patchy frost in spots like palo alto and san jose. in san francisco it's 45 degrees. so a very cool start. highs in the peninsula today 58 degrees, a light wind in the tri-valley. up to 58 degrees and warmer in the south bay as wealth as the north bay as we see the highs reaching into the low 60s it will be even warmer tomorrow. it will be actually the first day of winter and some rain in the forecast this weekend. we'll track that. now as we head over to mike, let's see what's happening for the roadways. we're looking at a lighter volume of traffic as we have every year: we're approaching the christmas break, the holiday breaks. a clear drive across the san

mateo bridge and the dumbarton bridge. southbound 280 slow. toward the rest of daly city, an earlier crash that looks like it must have cleared from the roadway. in the east bay, a slower drive. a backup at the toll plaza. 880, our view showing the slowing about 66 all the way in toward the downtown exit. back to you, laura. >> thank you very much, mike. happening now, the search is over for a new san francisco police chief. the mayor's office is scheduled to make an official announcement. sources are telling us right now who it is. someone from outside the department with years of experience in los angeles. learn more in our home page. students at one north bay high school is showing up to a campus with smashed doors, shattered windows and damage into the six figures. link to the twitter feet. details of the man in custody and reaction from school leaders. another local news update in half an hour.

it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, deadly attacks in europe. breaking overnight, new details about a suspect in berlin after a truck plowed into a christmas market killing at least 12 people, and injuring dozens more. while in turkey, a shocking scene caught on camera. russia's ambassador gunned down by an assassin in front of a crowd. we'll have the latest on both investigations. plus, do you believe? a look at the science behind what really happens to people during near-death experiences. >> a small group of them -- not everybody -- describes a sensation of actually separating from themselves and watching doctors and nurses trying to save their lives, except that

they're clinically dead. >> so does an afterlife really exist? >> i found myself flying through a star-filled realm. and, love, loss and legacy. prince harry opens up about the death of his mother, princess diana. >> i never really dealt with what had actually happened, so there was a lot off buried emotion. i just didn't even want to think about it. >> how he's living by her example and making a difference "today," tuesday, december 20th, 2016. ♪ go hokies! woo! >> hi to our friends and family in texas! >> hi to our friends in utah! >> celebrating my 19th birthday.

>> i'm celebrating my sweet 16 in nyc. >> celebrating my 10th birthday on "today." >> woo! are you freezing? 8:00 now on this tuesday morning. it's december 20th, 2016. you know what? it's 24 degrees out here. let's get some camera time to these great people here who have been out since the wee hours of the morning. give yourselves a hand. >> y'all look awesome. by the way, did y'all hear that christmas song that's playing? "this christmas" by donny hathaway. that's one of my jams. speaking of great music, we've got some live holiday music coming up for you, a true legend, 90 years young, tony bennett. >> every time he steps into the studio he classes up the joint. there is no question about it.

>> especially here. >> that's true. first, tis time for some headlines of the morning. here's "the news at 8." we start with a horrifying attack here in berlin on a christmas market. i'm anne thompson where german authorities say no one has claimed responsibility for this murderous act. this morning, conflicting reports about a possible suspect in the deadly truck crash in berlin after a semi trailer plunged into a crowd of holiday shoppers monday, killing 12 people and injuring dozens of others. overnight, a suspect seen here with his head covered was arrested and is being detained. local media identifying him overnight as a 23-year-old. german officials confirm the suspect is from pakistan who entered germany in december 2015, turned up in berlin in february and applied for asylum. but those procedures had not been finalized. however, this morning a

newspaper is quoting a senior police chief as saying, "we have the wrong man, and therefore a new situation." german chancellor angela merkel saying this morning that the crash is believed to have been a terrorist attack. police this morning towing away the truck that last night was a mass murder weapon. police say the driver crashed in to the market intentionally, barreling through the crowds at 40 miles per hour without warning and with deadly force. amateur video at the scene showing chaos, onlookers horrified. >> it was right in front of us. it was so close. crushing through people, crushing through the huts. >> reporter: in a show of respect, christmas markets are closed across berlin today. now let's go to istanbul for the latest on the assassination of russia's ambassador to turkey and richard engel. >> reporter: thanks, anne. a team of investigators from russia has arrived here to try and find out more about this

22-year-old police officer who gunned down and killed the russian ambassador as journalists were in the room, a washing that some of the images we're going to show are disturbing. . >> what happened today is that this russian team of investigators went to the crime scene and they visited the forensic's bureau and they're trying to find out if the gunman was acting alone or was he part of a group? the street where the ambassador was killed is being renamed after him in his honor. the ambassador's body is expected to leave this country and taken to russia today. we're finding out more about what motivated the attacker. as he was standing behind the ambassador he started to scream and then he said this was in order to carry out revenge for

russia because of its involvement in the war in syria. matt, back to you. >> richard, thank you very much. president elect donald trump is a step closer to the white house. on monday the electoral college made it official ensuring trump will become the nation's 45th president. he ended up with 304 electoral votes more than the 270 needed to win. hillary clinton finished with 227. trump thanked his supporters in a tweet saying, we did it. >> just ahead this morning's rock and roll hall of fame inductee will be revealed and prince harry gets candid talking about his mother's death and how it helped him to find new purpose in life. >> uses science to prove an after life exists. on do you believe, the surprising results of cutting edge research. but first, these messages. what are mommy and daddy like before their dunkin'?

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well this here's a load-bearing wall. we'll go ahead and rip that out. that'll cause a lot of problems. hmm. totally unnecessary and it triples the budget. we'll be totally behind schedule, right? (laughschedules. schedules. great, okay. 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. 24 degrees out on this tuesday morning. we're back now with a new 24 degrees out on this tuesday morning. we're back with a new documentary on prince harry. >> he speaks candidly about he was impacted by the death of his mother princess diana and how his grief lead him to find a new purpose. >> prince harry knows he leads a

charmed life. >> i'm actually passionate and able to make a difference. >> but in the new documentary on british television harry admits facing the tragic death of his mother princess diana took a toll. he was just 12 at the time. >> i never dealt with what actually happened and it was a lot of buried emotion. i still don't want to think about it. >> 7 years after his mother died harry found himself thinking about his life. like a lot of teenagers looking for meaning he took time away. >> i have a year i want to do something constructive with my life. i want to do something that makes my mother proud. >> he wound up in a small african country where a aids epidemic is responsible for one in three children bb orphaned and he set up a charity that means forget me not building a village in his mother's honor to help children with hiv and aids. sir elton john a friend of diana and harry.

>> his mother would be so proud of him because he cared. >> add so that a budding romantic relationship with actress megan markel. in toronto yesterday after being spotted with harry in london last week and there's a whole new prince charming. >> what is it that you're making? some might say with a new child-like outlook. >> it's so easy to get caught up in the negativity that goes on in this world so yes i would encourage everyone to do good. it's fun to be good and boring to be bad. >> it's boring to be bad. i like that. prince harry also said you don't have to be a prince to make positive changes and no matter who you are you can make a difference in the world by doing small, good deeds. and when you see him you're in a better mood, aren't you? when you just watch him. >> ask him to come over and take

part. >> of course. >> let us turn to stories that are trending this morning. ready guys? let's start with this study. it has a lot of people talking. it tried to answer the question who somewhere effective at being a doctor? a man or a woman. >> go ahead. >> more effective? i have a female doctor that's very good. i've had men doctors. is there a right answer to this? >> yes there is. >> according to researchers at harvard that studied elderly patients they have come to the conclusion that female doctors are more effective. patients treated by women had a lower mortality rate and were less likely to return to the hospital for more treatment. why? female doctors are better at following guidelines and communicating with their patients. one interesting step from the harvard study, if all doctors performed as well as female physicians that were studied, 32,000 lives might be saved every year. >> i was just thinking about

some of my doctors, most of mine are women and i like a woman doctor because i feel like they listen. you say something and they're paying attention. >> when i read this i was like no duh. i have good men doctors too. but no duh. >> i have a male doctor that's incredibly attentive and listens and it's great. >> heres an update on the story we told you about on monday. remember ezekiel elliott. he scored that touchdown and celebrated and jumped into the salvation army kettle. they were penalized for excessive celebration but his move made a big impact among football. so after he jumped in that kettle the salvation army said in the 12 hours after that moment they raised $182,000. that was a spike of 61%. people went online and started donating. he is himself donate 2g $1,000

and the nfl says it's not going to fine him for the celebration. >> good. >> i love that move. >> he had it in his mind and went right for it. >> that was preplanned, yes. >> here's a common argument over the weekend. as in the popular name monopoly. 51% of monopoly games end in a fight. >> a fight. >> i have ended a game with my father in a fight. >> your dad cheats at monopoly. >> do you? >> i didn't cheat. i was just very disappointed with the outcome and i wasn't a good loser in my childhood. >> guess what, the makers of the game are taking action in the u.k. and set up a hotline families can call during christmas to settle disputes. it's like the butterball hotline for a board game. so an unbiased trained expert will weigh in on any disputes you might have.

the top monopoly arguments are caused by people making up their own rules, someone being too cocky when they win. apparently your dad and stealing from the bank. >> who steals from the monopoly bank. >> who is on the other side of this hotline. my dad just tried to put six hotels on park place. >> it's a therapist. i may use the hotline just for other disputes. for ever dispute with my family. >> i was just talking about the argument i got in with my mother. >> have you ever finished a game of monopoly. >> they're endless. >> take it away. hot off the presses we just learned who is going to be inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame next year. there's big names. we start with the great journey. the legendary rockers winning the fan vote. also making it pearl jam.

doesn't like that it but congratulations to pearl jam. those guys got hits. hold on tight, other inductees include the band yes. you can look for the induction ceremony. that will be on friday. >> the crew was so happy about yes. they can't handle it. >> i was happy about pearl jam but that was my first concert. pearl jam. 6th grade. >> next her big holiday surprise for her dad. apparently when amy was younger her family owned a farm. she posted this throw back video of walking through the cornfields but the family lost the farm declaring bankruptcy but thanks to her success amy was able to do something cool. she bought the phone back and

posted this screen shot of her dad's emotional reaction there. we have that, right? >> i love that. >> bought the farm back and gave it to dad and quite a move. finally jerry lewis is 90. this may prove it, the most painful awkward interview of 2016. >> have you ever thought about retiring? >> why? >> was there never a moment that you thought, it might be time to retire? >> why? >> do you have a favorite story about like dean or frank sinatra or somebody that you worked with over the years that you'd like to share? >> no. >> not at all. >> none. >> how about an unfavorite story you would like. >> no, not for this. >> oh my -- how long did that go on. >> we've all been there.

that 17 minutes. i'm sure it felt like a lifetime. he had a snicker bar. >> he was just a laugh after that. >> there you go. that's your pop start for today guys. >> he's been nice when he has been on the show here. must not have been his day. carson thank you very much. let's head over to dave price in for al with a check of the weather. >> i watched the whole 7 minute interview. it was spectacular. you have got to see it. let's take a check on the weather. we'll get through it quickly today. there's not a lot significant going on unless you have really rough weather. flooding potentially in portland, mountain snows. this is a very stark comparison to what we saw earlier in the week when most of the country was covered in a large storm system stretching all the way from the west coast to sections of the northeast now as far as what we're going to expect when we head through the rest of the day still strong winds threatening the northern rockies

and diminishing santa anna winds through southern california but watch it up to about 45 miles per hour and a warm up here as we head to the northeast. that is a look at our good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. it is still very cold with some frost in parts of the bay area. we're only 1 degree above freezing in the valley. dhilz in the peninsula, sunshine 40, 45 in san francisco and right near freezing in the north bay. upper 50s to lower 60s this afternoon. a light wind and even trending above average in a few spots. this for the last day of fall will be a little bit warmer. >> that's a look at your weather. >> that's a look at your weather. if you're heading out you can take today with us on our sirius xm channel 108. >> it's day two of our special series do you believe touching the after life.

>> this morning using science to explore near death experiences and neglected to say that jenna was joining us for trending soly introduce her as part of this series. good morning. >> good morning. imagine having a near death experience where you leave your physical body but remain conscious. is this the after life? there's tools to measure those accounts and it's stunning. mea those accounts and there are some stunning consistencies. >> i found myself flying through a star-filled realm. >> reporter: it is a glimmer of heaven, many say. >> its rapture is beyond description. >> i just felt absolutely ecstatic. >> reporter: transformative, miraculous, even magical. but are they actually real? what happens during these experiences? >> people who come close to death for any reason typically describe a sensation of being profoundly peaceful and comfortable. some of them describe a tunnel and a bright warm welcoming

light. >> reporter: dr. sam, author of "erasing death" conducts cutting-edge research. >> probably the most interesting aspect of this is that a small group of them -- not everybody -- describes a sensation of actually separating from themselves and watching doctors and nurses trying to save their lives, except that they're clinically dead. >> reporter: in the aware a study, the doctor looked at 2,000 cases using auditory tests, they timed consciousness for up to five minutes after the brain had shut down. >> 40% of people had a perception of having had awareness which was phenomenally high. 10% of them had a classical near-death experience, and about 3% of them actually had full consciousness and awareness and could describe things. >> reporter: in one man's case, with verifiable accuracy. >> he was able to record details for up to five minutes events that were charted as had exactly occurred, even though the brain shuts down within 2 to 20 seconds. >> that was five minutes while he was flat-lined. >> he was clinically dead.

that's right. while he was dead. his brain would not have been functioning. >> millions of people have had near-death experiences. there is a tremendous amount of science. >> reporter: dr. jeffrey long is a radiation oncologist and author of "god and the afterlife." >> i've studied over 4,000. you see a very consistent pattern of elements. >> reporter: long says he observes remarkable parallels. >> there may be a life review where they see part or all of their prior life. they may encounter deceased relatives. these are joyous reunions. the two most common words used to describe a near-death experience are "peace" and "love." >> reporter: after people survive, he seems dramatic lifestyle changes. >> this includes an increased believe in the afterlife and decreased fear of death. >> reporter: but not everybody believes the accounts, and some completely dismiss the near-death concept. people are skeptical about it. >> people who are skeptical about them often think that these are simply hallucinations.

>> reporter: the doctor is conducting a new study giving specific sounds through an earpiece to patients in cardiac arrest, unusual images will also be placed high and facing the ceiling so they're only visible to somebody looking down from above. in theory, to a soul separated from a physical body. >> if you come back and say you saw dr. smith or dr. jones and what they were doing, the question is, you also see the image that's in the room that is independent and that you would not have been able to guess because it is not something you would expect to see on tv. >> so this connects up here. >> this exactly. >> reporter: now he hopes to enroll other hospitals. >> i hope we'll inspire other doctors to start thinking about how they should be measuring what's happening in the brain. >> reporter: ultimately, not only will research help patients survive and recover, it will also shed light on the enduring mystery of what really happens after we die. >> there's a vast amount that we can learn from near-death experiences. >> while the research is ongoing, members in the near-death community believe that science and medical

professionals are becoming more accepting of the concept. and i have to say, if anything, it gives us hope that there's this peace. and he also says that it is not a religious thing necessarily. you know? that this is a medical study to see what people hear and see, and the images are put in places where you'd have to be on top of the room, not laying in the bed. >> it's interesting to see the science. we talked about what you feel inside, but it is interesting when you see how the brain operates. great. thanks, jenna. just ahead, we're going o celebrate 90 years of tony bennett with a live performance from the man himself.

i'm ... our breaking news - word of a new chief .. for the san francisco police department. ==vo== >> good tuesday morning 8:26. i'm sam brock. breaking news, word of a new police chief for san francisco police department. right now all the city will officially say is san francisco mayor ed lee plans to announce new chief at 11:00 a.m. los angeles deputy police chief reached out to lapd and the department is not confirming or denying that report which was first made public by "the chronicle." narrowed down to acting chief seen right there. a check of the roads. mike inouye. >> a couple of spots in oakland, a slower drive on the sensors,

southbound 880 around 10th avenue, reports of disabled tractor-trailer blocking that for quite sometime. that lane in a couple seconds, slower drive from 7th street down to 10th avenue, cross directions over there. in the northbound side. bay bridge toll plaza, i do want to show you lighter volume of traffic. only fasttrack lanes are back. these are folks who are road warriors. they have fasttrack. if you pay cash, might save a few minutes to get into the city. >> counter-intuitive. thank you. that will do it for us now. see you in 30.

♪ i'll be home for christmas if only in my dreams ♪ 8:30 on a tuesday morning. it is the 20th day of december, 2016. look what we've got? we've got kind of a double-header going. that's janelle monet. she's one of our elves for our holiday toy drive this morning. now flip over to the other side of the plaza.

wait. what's going on over there? jonathan scott doing the same thing. it is the toys for the children. by the way, the scott brothers are going to be co-hosting our next hour here on "today." >> i'm a little afraid of that. >> dave price in for al roker this morning. hoda's here while savannah continues on maternity leave. >> we're having a nice little party on the plaza. just ahead, tony bennett is here ahead of his prime time special tonight. we'll celebrate his incredible life. he's turning 90 years old. he's going to have a live performance. look being forward to that. plus, we'll help spread some kindness and holiday cheer in a hard-hit community down in louisiana. and from the holiday guest who tries way too hard or the one who manages to spill everything, we'll get a little help on managing the stickiest etiquette situations over the holidays this time of year. but first, may we bring back one of our elves, the lovely janelle monet is here.

how are you? she's in that terrific movie called "hidden figures." how much did you love working on that? >> oh, it is such an honor to portray these brilliant-minded women. these are the women who helped get our first americans into space, and nobody, including me, knew anything about them. so i'm so happy that we get to learn about american history. >> it's getting great reviews. congratulations on that. are you an over-the-top holiday person or are you an under-the-radar? had. >> you know, holidays for me, i get to relax, i sleep. i unplug. i'm a low-key. i'm giving quietly. i'm like leave me alone, i need a rest. >> can we talk about everything that's happening here. we've got the spots. we've got the eyes. we've got it all. one of my favorite songs is "tight rope." it is one of yours. we love you for everything that you do. >> thank so much for having me. as we mentioned, janelle will be back in our next hour along with the scott brothers. mr. price, check of the weather? >> we got cold conditions here but no one here seems to be

bothered by that at all. let's see what's happening as we go to the maps and take a look at the holiday outlook and head into the weekend. looks like we'll have some scattered snow showers through sections of the upper middest with, pushing into the great lakes. mountain snow as you head to the pacific northwest and heavy rains for sections of northern california. christmas eve, unseasonably mild as we head through let's say the tennessee valley, into the southeast and up through sections of the northeast, windy conditions will prevail christmas eve for santa as he makes his journey in the west. for christmas day, lots of sunshine returns for the west. warm weather stays up and down the eastern seaboard. and we are looking at rain as we head through the midwest and mountain snow, a white christmas, as you hea good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. beautiful start to the day, but it is still very cold. our temperatures slowly warming up with all of this sunshine.

only 47 degrees in san francisco heading up to 57. a look at some more of those temperatures now at 35 in concord. at least we've made it above freezing but still some frost on the windchills before you head out. oakland 43, heading to 59. in san jose, 61 degrees. also 61 today in morgan hill. >> announcer: getting to the heart of christmas is brought to you by walmart. find gifts, groceries, and more this season. we love bringing back our series "getting to the heart of christmas" focusing on remarkable people who are in need this holiday season. >> "today" national correspondent craig melvin just got back from louisiana. what story did you bring sfus. >> good to see you guys. good morning. the louisiana flooding, the worst u.s. natural disaster since hurricane sandy. that area is still very much in major recovery mode. the baton rouge food bank needs food now more than ever.

sadly, their facility was decimated during the flooding but some very special employees made sure food bank was back up and running within days of the disaster. >> well, hello. welcome to the greater baton rouge food bank. that's me, sugar bear. come on in. >> reporter: it is amazing to watch a food bank at work. >> greater baton rouge food bank, this is wendy. >> reporter: the complexity of organizing hundreds of thousands of pounds of food. >> gentlemen, it's christmas time. it is a rush. >> reporter: incoming. >> so just have them double check this bin. >> reporter: and outgoing. for those members of a community most in need. >> i know it pretty well saved my life for a while. >> reporter: but this particular food bank, the greater baton rouge food bank, has been doing it all for months facing incredible hardship because this was the baton rouge food bank in august during louisiana's catastrophic flooding. five feet of water decimated the facility. over half a million pounds of food destroyed overnight.

and right at the moment when the community needed them the most. >> overnight it was devastating. it was devastating. >> i mean that's our mission. to help the less fortunate. if we can't be there for them in their time of need, then what's the point? >> reporter: but this small food bank staff, which they call a family, rallied to rebuild what was lost and were operational in makeshift space within days. >> it's a whole family at the food bank. it's like everybody just stepped into motion. >> we making it happen. it is the greater baton rouge food bank. we got a mission. let's get the job done. >> reporter: and the mutual devotion between the food bank and the community it serves is apparent. hugs after a delivery are common. >> good job. thank you so much! >> reporter: however, there is something that makes this story even more special because these five food bank employees, costello robinson, wendy nelms,

yvette thomas, and johnny fur man, will all dealing with their own heartbreak, their homes either destroyed by the flooding or unlivable and most, like johnny, a father of seven, losing everything they owned. >> i didn't have much anyway but it was mine. i didn't have much anyway, but it was mine. >> wendy and her family trapped by the floodwaters had to be rescued. >> it is just so strange to think that everything you own is on the road. >> costello caring for his ill mother struggled to find higher ground. >> i had to carry her out through the water. we barely made it out. >> reporter: yvonne's entire home had to be demolished. nothing was valuageable. >> it's not like you've been saving for years, pllike when y first get married. >> and fred refusing to be swallowed up by the darkness after losing his home. >> i'm looking for the light in the storm. >> reporter: none of these dedicated food bank employees missing a single day of work since the flooding. while trying to rebuild their own lives.

>> it wasn't even a choice, actually. the food bank needed me. >> i believe if you do good, something good going to come to you. >> reporter: and today was that day. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: the good folks at walmart wanted to say thank you. but wait. there's more. bring in the carts! ten carts packed to the rim with home goods to help replace what was lost. but wait, there's more! >> a hug? >> yes! a hug! sure. a hug. absolutely. >> reporter: ten more walmart carts overflowing with gifts and toys for the children. >> each of your families will

also be getting a $2,500 gift card, as well. and of course, walmart also wanted to help the mission of the baton rouge food bank to continue with ten more carts furnished with food to help restock their shelves for the holidays. and, yes, ten more carts full of desperately needed office supplies for the food bank. so, most of you know that after the floods hit, walmart wrote you guys a big check for $100,000 to help you guys get back on your feet. they have another check for $100,000. [ cheers and applause ] >> you guys don't realize how much good you do for this community. >> i love the mission. it is all about giving. it is all about taking care of people in need. >> and today they take care of you. >> taking care of me. >> yeah. >> a big thanks to sugar bear and the rest of the gang. by the way, you can learn more about those families and how you

can help the greater baton rouge food bank on our today show facebook page. >> after that story, we're going to start calling you sugar bear. that was pretty good. >> by the way, the hearts of those louisianans just makes your heartache. beautiful, craig. a beautiful story. >> they've got a good ways to go in terms of rebuilding. >> but can i tell you how good i feel right now after that piece? >> nice hearing you say -- ten more carts. ten more carts. >> thank you. special thanks to our friends at walmart. >> absolutely. and to you. up next, help for those awkward moments in arguments that pop up when families gets together over the holidays? we've got mr. manners. .

♪

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some potential awkwardness. >> you know it is going to happen. mr. manners hielms tf,homas farley, is here with etiquette advice to help us deal with certain pesky personalities. thomas, good morning. >> good news is the holidays, you bring your family together. the bad news is the holidays, you bring your family together. . let's start with some personality types. okay? scenarios. tell us what to do. your daughter over the holidays brings home her brand-new boyfriend. >> yes. >> let's call him off-the-mark mark. all right? he tries too hard. he is not your cup of tea and he tries to win over the family by going over the top. >> this is the first time the family is meeting him. he's really giving it his "a" game but it is not going so well. maybe telling off-colored jokes. doing everything he can to keep people entertained. it is up to the host to make him feel at ease. maybe give a toast. say lovely to have you here. maybe engage with him

one-on-one. give him a task, make him feel trusted, make him feel involved. >> you don't go to your daughter and say, this guy's not making it. >> after the holiday. >> what if let's say kelly shows up, she has a glass of red wine, she trips, she falls, it stains the carpet. she breaks some christmas lights. just things that happen. how do you approach her? >> so the key is, she wants to be able to admit what she's done wrong. she has to fess up very quickly. then she has to clean up very quickly. then she also wants to offer to pay for the item if she can or somehow make it up to the host. the host for his or her part needs to refuse and defuse. you refuse the offer of paying, and you want to defuse it by making her feel better. have those household cleaning items ready to go. you know there will be an accident at a party. >> what if she's sauced? then you have trouble. >> then carson goes. >> let's talk about braggy bob.

say a kid gets -- does quite well and with an xbox, iphone, goes to school the next day, around kids that maybe weren't as lucky as him. he starts bragging about his toys. >> this is awkward. not everybody will get the same number of gifts. whatever adult is nearby wants to defoo us that situation by redirecting the conversation immediately. as soon as that bragging starts, the adults will say i have a holiday story i need to share with all of you. before i forget, let me bring that up. you've taken the needle off the record. his parents if they learn about this need to tell him this is not the way we act around other children. not everybody gets the same amounts of gifts you do. >> give advice to last minute larry. the guy who wants until christmas morning to buy his secret santa gifts and the other thing open is the convenience store. what do you do if you're about to get beer in under the circumstances for christmas? >> larry needs to stop the a the convenience store. first, seek out the best card he

can find. pickens will probably be slim. buy a couple lottery tickets. buy a small gift card. then in the card itself write a lovely message describing what the gift is going to be. maybe a dinner for the two of you out at a time of the gift recipient's choosing. this way it does not seem like an afterthought. secret santa has something to enjoy. >> that's smart. thomas, you're good. you're on it. just ahead, the one, the only, tony bennett performs live in studio 1a. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

>> announcer: the citi concert series on "today" is proudly presented to you by citi. here's something we don't say every day. we are with a living legend. tony bennett has sold more than 50 million albums, picked up 19 grammys during his career that spanned more than six decades. >> that's right. at the age of 90, he is

certainly still going strong. in fact, we'll be celebrating him tonight. we join you to watch two-hour prime time special right here on nbc called "tony bennett celebrates 90, the best is yet to come." >> by the way, he's also out with a companion cd to that special. can we talk about the special? stevie wonder, bill dylan, billy joel, lady gaga. >> let me tell you what happened. the most wonderful contemporary artists celebrated my 90th birthday at radio city. and that's the show. >> what did it feel like to be the recipient of all that love? >> i just loved it. i haven't gotten over it yet. >> i love watching you and gaga together. >> thank you! >> what is about her that makes your collaboration so special? >> she has so much talent. she's going to be around for a long, long time. she's very bright. >> you know what i like, tony? you've been singing that song "the best is yet to come kwo" f long time, and in your life,

it's true. the best is always yet to come. >> thank you very much. >> what are you looking forward to for the holidays? >> we're going to have a little vacation out west with my wife's family. i'm looking forward to enjoying the whole holiday season. >> we can't wait to hear you sing. what are you going to sing for us right now? >> i don't know. >> i think "i'll be home for christmas." i hope. >> ladies and gentlemen, tony bennett. >> love you, honey. ♪ ♪ i'll be home for christmas you can plan on me ♪ ♪ please have snow and mistletoe and presents on the tree ♪

♪ christmas eve will find me where the love light gleams ♪ ♪ i'll be home for christmas if only in my dreams ♪ ♪ >> that's sergeant on the guitar. ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ christmas eve will find me where the love light gleams ♪ ♪ i'll be home for christmas if only in my dreams ♪ if only in my dreams ♪

>> yeah! woo-hoo hoo! >> thank you. >> happy birthday. merry christmas. >> that's how the pros do it. >> he'll be back with more music later. "tony bennett celebrates 90, the best is yet to come," tonight, 9:00, 8:00 central, right here on nbc. happy birthday. we're back in a moment. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

welcome back, everyone. carson headed back into the orange room for an update on our "share kindness" campaign. >> thanks, matt. all month long we have been sharing your stories of generosity to inspire 1 million acts of kindness. we're nearing the end and have less than 200,000 acts to go. let's get to a couple here. kim in illinois does something very cool by leaving a surprise for fellow movie renters at her local rent box. lana in ohio made a refreshments basket complete with chips and water bottles for the delivery drivers in her area. very nice as well. we are on track to meet our goal. keep the kindness coming. share your stories of generosity this holiday season using the #sharekindness. guys, back to you. >> so easy to do. all right, carson. just ahead, drew and jonathan scott are going to join jenna for entire hour at 9:00. plus, janelle monet is back. they got a lot going on.

and you know what el i'm ... our breaking news - word of a new chief .. for the san good morning. 8:56 on your tuesday. i'm sam brock. our breaking news this morning. word of a new chief for san francisco police department. right now all the city will officially say is that san francisco mayor ed lee plans to announce the new chief at 11:00 a.m. nbc bay area has learned from a source that lee will tap lapd deputy chief william scott for that position. we reached out to lapd. the department is not confirming nor denying that report, which

was first made by the chronicle this morning. city leaders last month narrowed down their search to three finalists that included current acting chief toney chaplin. bob will be bringing us a live report for our midday newscast. as for deputy chief's background, a link for that on our home page. following developments of deadly truck rampage yesterday. man is in custody. there are conflicting reports whether police believe he's responsible. you can link that on our facebook page. a frenzy of killer whales in the bay. viral media has social media buzzing. see you for another update in 30 minutes.

this morning on "today's thista morning on today's te a living legend tony bennett takes our stage with a live performance. then two hot properties, drew and jonathan scott as our celebrity co-hosts. plus the best stocking stuffer ever. surprise holiday give away. so tune in to win from home. >> nbc news. this is today's take live from studio 1-a in rockefeller plaza. >> hi, guys, welcome to today on this freezing tuesday morning, december 20th, 2016. i'm jenna bush-hager. tamron and al are off. guess who i got with me today a double dose of trouble. twin powers united. drew and jonathan scott are

here. so i'm excited. >> i'm excited. you called me a hot property. that's why i'm excited. >> you're really the hot property. we're just your body guards. >> i'd love to have a body guard. i haven't had one in a few years. >> i will be your kevin costner. >> love it. if you need extra spending money tune in to win our big give away. that will be fun. you have to watch from home if you juan to win. >> look at the people standing outside in the freezing cold because they want something free. >> they're giving us gifts too. we were collecting a bunch of gifts. >> i saw the child in the gift bag. >> i thought it was a doll. it wasn't. it was a child. i did put him in the bag. >> you can't shove a kid in a sack. >> wait a minute. i think you're trying to get us diverted from what we want to talk about today. he is engaged. >> i am engaged. i am officially off the market. i've been off the market for six

years. we have been dating for six years. oh, there's linda. hold on, i want to know, linda are you here? you're here. did linda say yes or did she think about it? >> i said yes. >> but did you think about it? how long did you think about it? >> i'm still in shock. >> so she thought about it for a long time. >> i was being sneaky. i didn't want her to know anything. i didn't want her to see texts or anything about it so i was going through jonathan using jonathan's phone and production people's phones. >> he got a fake e-mail address to use. he snuck off to record a song. guaranteed she either thought he was having an affair or already or that something was up for the holidays. >> we can see a little bit of this music video that you actually -- >> it's just a song. but i posted it -- i put some pictures to it as well. if you guys have a copy of the

song, it's marry me by train. >> so that is me singing my heart out. can we turn this up, i want to hear this voice. ♪ >> it was exciting for me. >> so drew had this playing in the restaurant and had this whole beautiful dinner up and all of this going and on this playing in the background. she thought it was the actual song. it was one of our favorite songs and she loves dr. seuss. her favorite book is all the places you'll go so i helped a friend of mine at a bakery in toronto, we designed this cake. there it s. it looks like the actual book and it says oh the places we'll go and the ring is balancing on the character on top. she was so confused and after she said yes i took her over a few doors down.

i flew in my family and her family. 200 of her family and friends. everybody together to celebrate. >> honestly if that's the engagement what is the wedding going to be like. >> oh my god. i'm going to have to go big. >> i would like to point out one problem i have with the whole scenario. everybody that walks over to us, everyone says so what are you going to do and now it's like. >> do you have a girlfriend? >> i'm madly in love with this fantastic woman. >> is this breaking news? >> no. >> i haven't been paying attention. >> last time we hung out i was single. >> yes. single. >> our brother j.d. has been together for his girlfriend for three years now. the pressure's on him, too. . come on, j.d. >> you could have a brother wedding where you both walk down the aisle statement. listen, the property brothers need a brother wedding. >> no woman out there wants to share their special day with the brothers. >> the head table could be bunk beds. drew's in one, i'm in another. >> terrible idea. >> i always as a little girl wanted a twin wedding with my

sister. >> really? you and your sister are weird. >> listen, property brother. >> you don't give wedding advice or how to name our children because we were -- >> they thought -- my daughter's name is poppy. and what did you say? >> papi. >> or it was biggie-biggie. >> mila, my older daughter says that. mila will go, i love it when you call me big poppy. >> we get nothing done here. >> have you guys finished your christmas shopping? you know what i'm going to get for the people i love nearest and dearest to my heart? and it could be signed by these two? they have a new book out which i was told is the best holiday gift of the season. >> who told you that? >> you! >> i told you that. >> "dream home." >> is that weird to give that to everyone we know? >> it's like a signed autograph. >> i give it to them with a renovation of their kitchen by jonathan. >> we hit "the new york times"

best seller list which is amazi amazing. this is the step by step if you can't have us there for the renovation. >> last year drew gave everyone a signed picture of himself. >> that's worth at least $35 on ebay. >> 35 cents. >> i even hesitate going to this because when somebody shows you a picture of their child, what goes through your mind? >> you always say, they're beautiful! and then if you have children, you're judging if they're more beautiful than your children. >> i'm afraid, what if it is an ugly kid? >> my kids aren't. but yesterday on the show this is a very typical thing for me. i tried to show a video of my daughter, mila, and it did not go so well because i showed the wrong video. so now we have the video. let's see it. >> the right video. >> take two. okay. that's vail, savannah's baby. and mila, my beautiful -- both are beautiful children. mila does something in front of

whole church which really is a show stopper. she lifts her skirt. and -- >> haven't we all done that? >> well, yes. it reminded me a little bit -- look, the teacher ha is to come and pull it down. i actually did that, too. i'm not sure if we have the picture but on the stage -- there i am. >> that's you? >> me in the bowl cut. and that is my grandpa giving some sort of speech and i guess i wasn't interested or i thought there needed to be some sort of entertainment. >> i actually did some research. i read that that action is hereditary. it is passed down to your children. >> do we have the picture of jonathan lifting his skirt? >> no, no, don't show that. >> then you do it, too. as twins, it must be in your dna. then the conversation led -- you guys are on tv all the time. do you have a boundary about how much you share? unfortunately, i decided to share the fact that after being with these kids that i love so much, i want another one.

but my husband didn't know that. >> did you know that? >> i forgot that i said it. it just kind of came out. so henry wrote me this. my wife also thought two funny to tell nation that she wants another baby this morning. and then somebody wrote, and all i wrote back is, what? it says -- do not share this text. what are you doing right now? >> then henry wrote, i saw the clip, honey. you and al conspiring against hank. >> al's into that sort of conspiring. >> here's the thing. my husband doesn't normally watch the show. so let's just see if this gets around. does he find out today? yes or no. >> your house doesn't watch the show and he also doesn't use friend finder to find out where you are at all times. >> it won't be your husband who watches the show. all of his friends will now text him, "she did it again." >> well, i do want a baby. it leads me to you. well, that doesn't really make sense. that's not what i meant. very sorry over there. to your fiance.

are you interested in children? >> oh, yeah, one day. now i'm getting all emotional here. oh, gosh. >> you okay? >> yes. one day. we haven't talked about it but we will definitely have kids one day and you'll be the first one i tell before i tell my wife. >> a new survey is out of the most misquoted holiday lyrics. we'll test ourselves. we are going to see who -- y'all are musicians. we're going to see who could complete the lyrics to the three most often misquoted songs. here we go. song one. ♪ chestnuts roasting on an open fire ♪ ♪ jack frost nipping at your nose ♪ ♪ jack frost nipping at your nose. ♪ >> i wouldn't have gotten that. >> what would you have said? >> jack frost nipping at your toes. >> that works. >> that was the justin bieber remake. >> let's hear it.

♪ dashing through the snow in a one horse open sleigh ♪ ♪ on the field we go laughing all the way ♪ >> tails on bobtail sing making spirits bright -- >> tails on bobsie's squeezing? what does that mean? >> y'all haven't lost yet. >> obviously we're awesome at this game. >> that's one for the scott brothers, zero for you. >> two for us. ish. >> one and a half. song three. ♪ on the fourth day of christmas my true love sent to me ♪ ♪ a partridge in a pear tree ♪ i want a bentley >> no. four maids a milking. >> four birds a bathing. >> this is the weirdest song -- can you imagine writing session? oh, maids a milking. maids a milking.

>> also, what family wants to spend five hours singing one song? >> my daughter really loves that song. so we lost. point is we lost. guess what? >> "joy to the world." >> i haven't lost because these guys are here with me all morning. coming up be with the must-see video of the morning. an aprmazing military homecomin that will warm ♪ what are you doing right now? making a cake! uh oh. i don't see cake, i just see mess. it's like awful. it feels like am not actually cleaning it up. what's that make mommy do?

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we're here on the best day because we are going to be some of the first people in the entire world to try out girl scout cookie cereal! isn't it amazing? these are two flavors. >> we're talking cereal and drew requested chilled almond milk. >> no. room temperature almond milk. >> listen, boys. these are some thin mint flavored cereal. right here. you are eating the caramel crunch. >> this is not how i eat my cereal. >> this is heavenly. >> it does not get any better than this. >> first people in the world to try it! thin mint cereal. >> oh, my god! >> that's how i do it. >> you eat the whole box? i was going to take that home. >> you know you're not going to stop. >> i'm taking the thin mints home. this is exactly how you do it. >> i apologize. can i have a rag over here from the kitchen? >> you can't really take the

properties brotherfully whes an. >> this somebody heavenly. this is christmas in a box. >> i like the size of these. because you could eat more than just one or two cookies. guys, can we talk about christmas movies? yes or no. >> oh, my gosh. i start watching them in november. >> cabletv.com put out a state by state breakdown of christmas movies. see if you guys match the general population of your state. drew and jonathan, you guys live in nevada. i've been to their house before. what do you think is the favorite holiday movie of nevada? >> nation"national lampoon's chs vacatio vacation". >> that could work. >> do you guys always have the same answers for everything? >> no. we discuss it internally. >> the answer was "nightmare before christmas." maybe because you leave las vegas and it seems like you could have been a nightmare because you're terribly hung over. >> what's your favorite? >> my favorite holiday movie is

"love actually." >> that is my favorite but i wouldn't think that is a texas thing. >> no. from texas, the most popular? >> "red rider bb gun." >> what is it? anybody know? "home alone." "love actually" is my favorite but texans love to laugh and "home alone" is hilarious. >> "love actually" and "elf." "it's a wonderful life." >> hey, don't i get to answer? the time. >> sorry. sorry. it is really hard to be with these twins. so listen, now a little something to get those tear ducts working. matt farrell, a gathered on the notre dame basketball team didn't expect his older brother bo to return home from afghanistan until february. after the fighting irish's victory over colgate monday night the team turned their attention to the jumbotron for a message from bo in full military gear. take a look. >> you've always followed your hopes and always followed your dreams. i just want you to know how proud i am of you. i love you and i miss you very

much. for us, home is wherever we're together. i look forward to being home with you soon. really. really soon. >> oh, my gosh. i love this so much. that's so sweet. by the way, his grandmother knew about this. their grandmother. and set the whole thing up. >> that's amazing. >> i love that. a great christmas good morning. beautiful view san francisco, all clear skies, sunshine, but it is breezy and it is cool. right now it's only 49 degrees heading up to 57 degrees today. here's what to expect over the next couple of days. with all of that sun it will be warming up into the upper 50s

once again. that's about average for this time of year. the rest of the week staying dry and mild with some breezy winds and this weekend we'll be tracking two storms so keep it here for updates. >> do you want to try that again? >> in your neck of the woods. up next, an early gift for you out on our plaza. and for you at home. and for you at home. it is freebie tuesday. ♪ 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.

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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. and there are some people should give undeyouashouldn't .oliday. people you should. shouldn't. janice! should. shouldn't. yes. no. should. no way. should. no. definitely not. ha ha, nay. you shouldn't give underwear to everybody. but for those you do, give them fruit of the loom.

'tis the season of giving so we're surprising our fans on the plaza with a freebie tuesday giveaway. >> thanks o our friends at jachlt c penny, we're going to be giving our stockings filled with secret goodies. >> let's do this! >> me first! >> this is going to be good. i just love giving free stuff away. >> by the way, people aren't finished with their stocking stuffers, they can have these. >> this is the best. >> are y'all done shopping? >> i haven't done any shopping yet. >> drew will take half of this stuff. key keep an eye on drew. >> hey, guys! >> who wants free stuff? who wants a little bit of free stuff? >> have you done any of your shopping yet? >> not a lot.

>> this is for you. nice. that's not all we have for these people. guess what we have? a $500 gift card for jcpenney. >> $500 gift card. >> for your last-minute shopping this holiday season. merry christmas. >> if you're at home, we were's giving out two more $500 gift cards. to find out how to win one, visit our facebook page at facebook.com/today's take. don't forget to like us. coming up, tony bennett. are you excited or what? >> i am! >> it's cold out here. >> what's your name? >> alice. >> we're dressing you up. >> does anybody want a kitchen

renovation? anybody? >> we want one. all right, coming up, tony bennett sings one of his most famous tunes. after your local news. ♪ i love you so much. that's why i bought six of you... for when you stretch out. i want you to stay this bright blue forever... that's why you will stay in this drawer... forever. i can't live without you. and that's why i will never, ever wash you.

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==anim== the breaking news this morning - good tuesday morning. 9:26. i'm sam brock. we are following breaking news this morning. word of a new chief at the san francisco police department. nbc bay area has learned from a source that the pick is los angeles deputy police chief william scott. right now the only official word coming from san francisco mayor ed lee's office is that he plans to make an announcement at a news conference at 11:00 a.m. this morning about a new chief. we reached out to lapd and the department is not confirming nor denying that report which was first made by the chronicle. city leaders last month narrowed their search down to three finalists that includes the current acting chief. students and faculty have returned to class at a north bay catholic school heavily damaged overnight by a vandal.

last night firefighters responded to an alarm at santa rosa's cardinal newman high school. when they arrived, they found a man inside the school offices smashing doors, shattering windows and throwing objects. sheriff's deputies arrived and took the man into skucustody. the suspect is 23-year-old andrew faulkner from guernevi e guerneville. the total damage inflicted is estimated at $100,000. we are just getting word of systemwide delays on b.a.r.t. we'll check your traffic right after this.

good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. it's only 41 in san jose and morgan hill as well as concord. oakland 47 and 49 in san francisco. expect the highs to make it into the upper 50s today in the tri-valley. 58 degrees, mostly sunny skies with a light wind and it will be nice in san francisco, up to 57

degrees and our temperatures continue to warm over the next couple of days. let's head over to mike for a crash in oakland. >> there's a crash in oakland and also i want to get this update from b.a.r.t. the update, major delays systemwide because of a train that is inching its way through the transbay tunnel. once that clears they can start moving the rest of the system again, but until it clears we have a problem between oakland and san francisco. we'll update folks there. the roadways are a great option because look how light they are. but the crash in oakland, north 880 at high street just shy of the off-ramp. the off-ramp is open but only two lanes getting by. that will do it for us right now. see you in 30.

back now with the scott brothers and our share kindness campaign rolls on. today's story comes from the generosity of holly and peter and their organization sunshine on a rainy day which gives home makeovers for children with long-term ill nelss. >> what started as a hobby for the couple became a calling as they put their backgrounds in design and construction to good news. >> they have hae helped some families by giving them wheelchair accessible rooms, dream bedrooms, and more. >> take a look. >> reporter: at atlanta children's hospital of eggleston, many gather to see the grand reveal of the new parent sleep rooms. and with that, the organization's sunshine on a ranney day has transformed what was once a hospital looking annex that a spa-like room for parents of children with

long-term illnesses. sta stacy's son stayed in the hospital for five months following a severe brain injury. for founders holly and peter ranne yechl ranney, it's a labor of love. >> we do wheelchair ramps. >> with her background in marketing and design, mine in construction, we use our skills full time and help children. >> we have amazing designers meet with the child and determine their needs and what the child's interests are. we heard about one story, i think a lot of people related to it. >> reporter: while at his daycare center, a tree limb fell on tripp, crushing his head. >> it was just the most heart breaking thing we had ever seen. they had him completely hooked up to all the monitors and all the tubes and he looked so small. he was only 2 years old. >> reporter: after a life saving operation, tripp recovered at the hospital. >> so the hospital became our home. we ate here, we bathed here, we

slept here. you want to be able to cry and break down and you can't in front of your child. it's just not acceptable. you have to stay strong. >> reporter: one place of respite for the halsteads was the sleep rooms. >> it was a place where you could just be yourself. but when you were in there, you still knew you were at the hospital. and today, getting to see what they've done to the sleep rooms, it just touches my heart to think about families like us that spent so many nights here. >> being able to give them a space where they can comen in and take an escape. even if it is to put a pillow over your face and cry. if they can just be down the hall and feel like they've gone home or gone to a hotel, this is going to be so rewarding. >> it will help thousands of families. i'm just so proud to be a part of it today. >> reporter: stacy's joy stems from having had her own home completely renovated. >> we told them, you guys focus

on tripp and his health. let us take on your home. >> and they completely transformed our house into a complete handicap accessible perfect home. >> hundreds of people came out for his reveal. millions of people watched it on live stream. >> you don't think about the little things at home like having a bathroom that we can bathe him in and they provided all of that for us. instead of looking around and seeing all of tripp's limitations, we look around and we see all of the possibilities. >> peter and i discovered that this was our mission in life and our hope is that we can inspire other people to share their kindness. >> share kindness, to me, is using your god-given talents and the skills that you have for the benefit of other people. >> no one wants to be at the hospital. to have these rooms to just be able to escape is so important. it's just kind people like this that make the world a better place.

>> i love that. today sunshine on a ranney has created over 40 projects with help from numerous donors and hopes to expand in the new year. >> just go to today.com and use hsh h #sharekind in es. he . >> i love working with organizations likes that. >> you guys have to do this! >> we will. up next, singer around actress janelle monet tells us what it is like to star in not one, but two films getting a lot of buzz this awards to the after party -

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suave three fragrances preferred over bath and body works. janelle monae made a name for herself with a funky and fresh tune called "tight rope." >> these days janelle's taking her talents to the big screen in the golden globe nominated film "hidden figures." >> it is based on the true story of three african-american women who played a role in nasa aerospace in the '60s. >> i'm a negro woman. i'm not going to entertain the impossible. >>nd a i am a polish jew whose parents died in a nazi prison camp. now i am standing beneath a spaceship that's going to carry an astronaut to the stars. let me ask you, if you were a white man, would you wish to be an engineer? >> i wouldn't have to. i'd already be one.

>> janelle, good morning. we can't wait to see this movie. tell us what you knew of mary jackson before taking this film. >> well, sadly, jenna, i had no clue who miss mary jackson was, who katherine johnson was, dorothy vaughn. any of the human computers. that's what they called them during that era because they would compute and do the math to get our first americans into space. i didn't know anything about these women until i read the script. when i read the script, i said, i absolutely must be a part of this. i took it on as a personal responsibility to make sure no other young girl, or boy -- any american -- didn't go through life not knowing about these true american heroes. >> they are the absolute heroes. the vibe on social -- i was on last night looking at social media -- the buzz about the movie is amazing. i hear you did a screener at the white house as well? >> yeah. the first lady hosted it. our president came as well. it was incredible to have their

support. you know he's big on s.t.e.m. and especially women in s.t.e.m. he awarded katherine johnson who was directly responsible for doing the math for john glenn -- god rest his spirit -- when he orbited the earth. katherine wcat he is a huge adv women in s.t.e.m. >> you had your leg up over -- that one photo i saw? >> down the banisters of the white house. >> our president is so funny. i've been to the white house a lot and he -- >> you've been there more than any other performer. can we put that into the gin in te "guinness book of world records"? >> i performed there quite a lot. i humbly say this, i feel so thankful. it never gets old. these people worked so hard to help push this country forward, the first lady and the president. i'm always happy to be there. i think the photo you are talking about, i had on these flats. >> can we see this photo?

>> he told me to bring my dance -- they're going to have one just small blowout and he said, janelle? don't wear any heels. i told him i already had my flats on. >> any time i see a rail, i have to do a ballet stretch. >> i was stretching. i'm ready. they know how to party. >> i think they keep having you back because you are the most fun -- you are a joy to be around. even talking before the cameras or even seeing some of the interviews, i notice that you settled into the role in the film so easily. but is there a background in math? were you even good at math? you felt so natural. >> something tells me you were good at it. >> listen. i was actually in honors math. >> of course she was. >> but you see, with math, you have to study that. when i got involved in the arts, i was theater student, internationalen thespian, a capella choir. i kind of got dusty. i realized that was not my

career path. but i had the opportunity to work with an incredible mathematician. we filmed in atlanta, georgia. i wanted to learn the elliptical equation. that's one of the equations that katherine and all the mathematicians there used to help get our astronauts into space. i did challenge myself to do that. >> you sing, you dance, you're a brain. i've seen you live. you have energy. >> we're doing a test right now. what is it? >> four divided by -- two. >> we'll think about it. >> the twins. >> thank you so much. you are such an inspiration. "hidden figures" opens in select theaters on christmas day and nationwide -- >> it is out good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. a lot of sunshine and still some cool weather. here's a live look outside at san jose as you head out the door. looks like traffic is flowing very slowly heading northbound. 41 degrees now in san jose and concord, 47 in oakland and in

san francisco 49 degrees. still some upper 30s for parts of the north bay. and that is where we will also have unhealthy air quality, so another spare the air alert has been issued for today and tomorrow. coming up, he celebrated his 90th birthday, but the best is yet to come for the great tony bennett. the american icon gives us an early christmas gift with a live performance right afte walgreens presents, a holiday mini miracle. hey! hey! ♪ this is for you. did you really? didn't have too! ♪ getting the gift you almost kept for yourself? now that's a holiday mini miracle. and it's easy to create your own at walgreens... with 50 percent off the gifts of the week, just around the corner. walgreens. at the corner of happy and healthy.

...ad, and my sweethearts handsome,gone sayonara.rance... this scarf, all that's left to remember. what! she washed this like a month ago! how's a guy supposed to move on! the long lasting scent of gain flings. ♪ 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. ♪ who's the genius who puts a girl in heels on a subway grate?

miss monroe, eat a snickers. why? you get a little cranky when you're hungry. better? much better. this scene will never make the cut. ♪holidjan.usic jan. whoa. (all chanting) jan.jan.jan.jan... edible arrangements brings everyone together. stop in or order online. it's just a cough.our cough, sfx: woman coughing you'd see how often you cough all day. and so would everyone else. robitussin 12 hour delivers fast, powerful cough relief that lasts up to 12 hours. robitussin 12 hour cough relief, because it's never just a cough. the holidays don't officialy begin, until it's time to make: flaky, delicious, piping hot things.

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>> announcer: the citi concert series on "today" is proudly presented to you by citi. we've been honored to have the legendary tony bennett spending time with us this morning. the 19-time grammy winner released 95 albums and still going during his career. tonight he is being honored with a two-hour prime time special called "tony bennett celebrates 90. the best is yet to come." he's also out with a companion cd called "tony bennett celebrates 90." good morning! >> good morning. >> when they called you and said we're going to do a two-hour full-length film to celebrate your 90th birthday -- >> thank you very much. >> that's a present. >> you liked it? it's got so many great stars on it, too. everybody from, of course, lady gaga who adores you. >> all great performers. >> bob dylan to michael bouble. what about you brings these great collaborations? people just long to be with you. >> i'm thrilled about it. every great entertainer that's very popular today is on that

show. >> also, you know it is amazing when you have an entire category on jeopardy that last night on jeopardy, you had a tony bennett category. how did that feel? >> felt great. >> could you have answered all the questions yourself? >> i guess the big thing, too, you are the master of duets, to even the specials. how do you choose the duets or is there somebody that tough's always wanted to work with and you have yet to work with? >> someone i always wanted to work with. >> who is it? tell us? >> lady gaga. >> but who have you not worked with that's on your bucket list? >> not yet. >> not yet? what about beyonce? i heard beyonce, you would love to work with her. >> she's too good. >> she's too good. nobody is too good for tony bennett. and i can't wait, we're about to hear you perform. what are you going to sing for us? >> i don't know yet. >> okay. well's let's surprise -- >> how about "the best is yet to come"? >> it's my favorite! let's do it. take it away, tony. ♪

♪ out of the tree of life i just picked me a plum ♪ you came along and everything's startin' to hum ♪ still it's a real good bet the best is yet to come ♪ the best is yet to come and babe won't that be fine ♪ you think you've seen the sun but you ain't seen it shine ♪ wait till the warm-up's under way ♪ wait till our lips have met ♪ wait till you see that sunshine day you ain't seen nothing yet ♪ the best is yet to come and babe won't that be fine ♪

the best is yet to come come the day you're mine ♪ come the day you're mine ♪ i'm gonna teach you to fly ♪ we've only tasted the wine we're gonna drain the cup dry ♪ wait till your charm's are right for these arms to surround ♪ you think you've flown before but you ain't left the ground ♪ ♪ wait till you're locked in my embrace ♪ wait till i draw you near wait till you see that sunshine place ♪ ain't nothing like it here ♪ ♪ the best is yet to come and babe won't it be fine ♪

the best is yet to come come the day you're mine ♪ ♪ out of the tree of life i just picked me a plum ♪ >> woo! >> thank you. >> thank you so much! that was so great! and you can watch tony bennett celebrates 90, the best is yet to come, tonight at 9:00, 8:00 central, here on nbc. we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc.

it is our final week of the holiday toy drive and our celebrity elves janelle monae and drew and jonathan scott were on our plaza collecting toys for deserving kids. today we welcome the executive vice president of corporate

affairs at tyson foods. sara, good morning! >> happy to be here. >> thank you. what are y'all going to be donating for us? >> for the 11th year of participating in the toy drive, we're donating $200,000 worth of breakfast, lunch and dinner protein foods to food banks around the country. >> why is it so important? this is one of the only food elements for this drive that we're doing. why is that such an important part for families? >> protein is really tough to get in the food banks. we're in the protein business. 1 out of 8 americans doesn't know where their next meal's coming from. we'd like to help take some stress off their plate by putting something on their plate. >> you've been doing it many, many years. what other philanthropy efforts does tyson have? >> disaster relief. we also work on stable agriculture. >> when you think about the fact that kids are going to bed hungry and 1 out of 8, it is just not acceptable. >> no, not at all. >> kids perform better at school

when they're not hungry, especially when they're eating protein. that's kind of a brain food. >> thank you so much for making holidays for so many people. you have until friday to donate to our toy drive on the plaza or online at sam zamazon.com/today. >> i had so much fun! these brothers are the bomb. jonathan and scott. >> tell which is your favorite. >> he's single.

we're in for some milder weather and a lot of sunshine after this chilly morning, expected to reach 57 degrees in san francisco. mid to upper 50s for the next few days and then the rain returns, especially late friday night into early saturday morning and on christmas day rain will be possible once

again. a couple of storm systems moving in towards the end of the forecast, but we will still have three dry days of weather as we go through the rest of this weekend. also temperatures warming up into the low 60s. let's check in with mike for an update on this morning's commute. >> easy commute right now, the b.a.r.t. system, the train with pu propulsion issues, limping along has cleared. also 880 past the coliseum, the crash at high street has cleared in the last few minutes. we have a slower drive getting up to the bay bridge toll plaza but there's your treat, you know what, the metering lights turned off since just before 9:00 a.m. holiday light around the bay. back to you. >> we do like holiday light. happening now, the search for a new chief for san francisco is over. the mayor's office is scheduled to make an announcement official at 11:00 this morning, but sources are telling us right now who it is. someone from outside the department with years of experience in los angeles. learn more on our home page.

and students at one north bay high school are showing up this morning to a campus with smashed doors, shattered windows and damage in the six figures. in our twitter feed video of that large-scale vandalism attack and the man who's now in custody.

>> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. hello, everybody! it's booze day tuesda also known at one of hoda's favorite days. >> what day? >> spanky tuesday. >> no! >> we have the toy drive. you have to wait for that. ♪ i'll be home for christmas >> gentlemen, he will. tony bennett. with us, too. singing another song for us later. >> his 90th birthday is honored with an nbc special. that's tonight. >> yep. >> he's going to sing a bunch of great songs, but also does all kinds of duets