dinner for quite a few people? >> a big one this weekend. >> bring us the leftovers. >> that's what's happening "today in the bay." back at 7:25 with an update. good morning. massive explosion, a crowded fireworks market near mexico city erupts setting off a fiery chain reaction. at least 31 people killed, 70 others injured. an investigation under way. desperate manhunt. the searc intensifies for whoever was behind the wheel in that deadly attack on a christmas market in berlin. the only person arrested released over a lack of evidence. terrifying attack. two-time wimbledon champion stabbed in the hand by a burglar who broke into her home. this morning the latest on what could be a career impacting injury and the search for the intruder still at large. on the marks.

80s pop star richard marks helps take down an unruly passenger during a flight. his wife, daisy fuentes, documenting the entire episode. the couple saying the flight crew was ill prepared, and should have known better today, wednesday december 21st, 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 wednesday morning. i'm matt lauer with hoda kotb, savannah enjoys maternity leave. should have known better was one of richard marks' songs. >> i just caught on to that. the date, the 21st, four days until christmas, a little panic setting in. >> first day of winter. winter set in today as well. let us begin this morning with that explosion, that tragic explosion that leveled a popular and packed fireworks market near mexico city. the dramatic scene captured on

camera. nbc's kerry sanders joins us with the latest on this. good morning. >> good morning, matt. family and friends here in mexico are devastated, three people rushed to the hospital overnight have now died, bringing the death toll to an astonishing 31 people. 32 people are still unaccounted for. setting off fireworks, firecrackers during holt dthe h season is a tradition here. and the market is one of the most popular places to go to purchase them. it means they're all concentrated in one particular area. so while whatever set off this astonishing explosion, this spectacular explosion, that now is under investigation. a thick cloud of smoke seen from miles away. after an unexpected explosion set off a chain reaction of fireworks. the explosives going off in all different directions. terrified marketgoers running for their lives.

as one of mexico's best known fireworks markets is engulfed in flames. from the sky, drone footage of the aftermath shows the devastation. on the ground, panic and shock. bodies too gruesome to show scorched beyond recognition. this man saying, there's no life there, but there are bodies. it's a very tragic scene. the blast so strong, nearby homes were damaged and cars were reduced to burned out shells. so far the cause of the blast is unknown. located on the outskirts of mexico city, the market has seen this kind of devastation before. once in 2005, when a chain of fireworks explosions leveled hundreds of stalls. and then again in 2006. this is what tultepec is known for, this man says. the officials saying the market

is the only source of work for many in the area. and that it will rise again from the ashes. this morning, everyone is being told to stay three miles back from the market because there are still some hot spots there. and there well could be some unexploded fireworks that may again go off. matt? >> kerry sanders in mexico city, on this story, kerry, thank you very much. >> and to germany now, the desperate search to identify and find the driver who rammed a truck into a crowd of holiday shoppers in berlin. this after a pakistani refugee who was arrested near the scene turned out to be the wrong man. nbc's anne thompson has the very latest. good morning, anne. >> good morning, hoda. german media are now reporting that authorities are looking for a tunisian man, in connection with the attack that killed 12 people here. nbc news cannot independently confirm that report, and german officials are not commenting as they search for a mass murderer.

this morning, in berlin, the manhunt is intensifying, as the person responsible for driving a truck at 40 miles per hour through a christmas market near a church is still at large. police warning people here to be particularly vigilant, as christmas markets are cautiously reopened. it comes after an embarrassing day for german police. the 23-year-old pakistani asylum seeker detained hours after the attack, released last night when police determined there wasn't enough evidence to connect him to the crime. the media arm of isis describing the attacker as a soldier of the islamic state, now claiming responsibility for the incident, but offering no proof. authorities say they won't rest until the perpetrator of the horror is found. investigators going through cctv video, and searching the truck for clues. in the cab, a man found shot, identified as the employee of

the polish truck company. the attack wounding the holiday heart of the city. pastor justice munster, one of the first responders. >> is there fear in the city? >> a little fear, yes. >> is it the kind of fear that disturbs christmas? >> i don't think so. we won't let them destroy christmas. >> berlin's iconic brandenburg gate, bathed in germany's national colors, underneath the festive decorations heavily a d armed security forces on alert for trouble, but also helping berliners express their grief at what was once such a happy time of year. this morning, berlin's mayor is urging people here not to be afraid at a moment of great uncertainty. hoda? >> anne thompson in berlin, anne, thanks so much. here atme, president-elect trump's transition team is pushing back hard against new questions about potential conflicts of interest surrounding his inauguration. nbc's kristen welker has that

story. kristin, good morning to you. >> matt, good morning to you. president-elect donald trump will hold more meetings here at march ala go today. it comes as the transition team is in a bit of damage control. president-elect donald trump fending off new pay to play accusations this morning after tmz obtained this brochure saying donors who give $1 million to a newly formed charity called "opening day" could party with the president the day after he's inaugurated. the big spenders get a photo-op with the new president and a fishing or hunting trip with eric trump or donald jr. >> hillary clinton's only allegiance is to herself, her donors and her special interest. >> this morning, trump officials say the inauguration flack is being overblown. they argue the details in the

brochure are merely initial concepts that have not been approved or pursued by the trump family, adding don jr. and eric are not involved in any capacity. this brochure removes any references to photographs or hunting excursions with the trumps. though don jr. and eric are listed as honorary cochairs. also this morning, a new look at james comey's decision to revise the investigation into hillary clinton's e-mails in the final weeks of the race. on tuesday, the fbi's request for a search warrant related to hillary clinton's private e-mail server was unsealed, showing investigators believed there was probable cause, a laptop seized as part of its investigation into anthony weiner contained classified information. that turned out not to be the case. the heavily redacted documents released. this as president-elect trump ramps up a new war of words with

bill clinton after the 42nd president told a local new york paper he received a phone call from trump after the election describing trump as cordial. then saying mr. trump doesn't know much. one thing he does know is how to get angry, white men to vote for him. mr. trump hitting back at the former president on twitter. wrong. he called me with a very nice congratulations. he doesn't know much, especially how to get people even with an unlimited budget out to vote in the vital swing states. now, president clinton did clarify yesterday, tweeting that he was, in fact, the one to call president-elect trump. still, it all underscores that the bitter battle between these two families isn't simmering anytime soon. as for the current commander in chief, president obama announce ago ban on offshore oil and gas drilling in parts of the arctic and the atlantic, trying to solidify his environmental legacy before donald trump takes office. matt, hoda.

>> thank you very much. now to troubling new propaganda video from the taliban featuring an american woman who is being held hostage in afghanistan with her family. her two young children, born in captivit captivity, seen on that tape for the first time. andrea mitch sl nbc's chief foreign correspondent. >> good morning, hoda. a pennsylvania family is praying for a christmas miracle, appealing to the president to help return their daughter and grandchildren who are being held captive by the taliban in afghanistan. >> both sides hate us. >> this morning, growing concern about a family being held hostage by the taliban. after the terror group released this propaganda video showing american hostage katelynn coleman clearly under duress and her canadian husband joshua boyle and their two young children born in captivity. a small town girl from stewartstown, pennsylvania, coleman was raised a devout catholic. she left home to explore the

world four years ago. holly otterbein saw her days before she left. >> everything seemed pretty normal. she was a little quieter than usual, but other than that, not that different. >> katelynn's secret, she was already pregnant with her first child. >> an american mom with two kids who have grown up under the taliban, who know nothing other than life under the taliban, if you can actually imagine how horrific that must be. >> now years later, she was transformed, guarantee. u.s. officials say coleman is reading from a script, begging president obama to bring her home. >> obama, your legacy when leaving office is probably important to you and our lives and these of our children are to us. >> if time runs out for president obama, katelynn addressing his successor. >> donald trump, they want money, power, friends. you must give them these things before progress can be made. >> her parents in june appealing to her captors. >> as a man, father, and now

grandfather, i am asking you to show mercy and release my daughter, her husband and their beautiful children. >> katelynn's friends are saying the taliban are demanding a prisoner swap for their own terrorists as was done for bowe berg d bergdahl years ago. matt and hoda. >> andrea mitchell, thank you so much. as kristen welker mentioned, the obama administration announced tuesday a sweeping ban on offshore oil and gas drilling in the arctic ocean and areas of the atlantic. the move could be a major obstacle for president-elect trump and his promise to unleash the nation's untapped energy researches. environmental groups hope the ban, despite relying on executive powers, will be difficult to reverse. the white house says president obama used a provision in a 1953 law to permanently freeze

offshore drilling in specified regions. there is some major development now on a story we've been following for almost a year. some of the same legislators who passed the north carolina law, known as the bathroom bill, are returning to the capital today to reconsider or consider appealing it. governor elect roy cooper unseated republican governor pat mcareary in part by campaigning against house bill two. the controversial law required transgender people who use rest rooms corresponding to the sex on their birth certificate. the fallout has caused criticism and caused some major organizations to move events out of that state. this morning, two-time wimbledon champion is recovering from emergency surgery. her injuries suffered when she was attacked in her home by a knife-wielding intruder. nbc's lucy cavenaugh has the latest on that. lucy, good morning to you. >> matt, good morning. just behind me is wimbledon's

historic center court. this is where tennis dreams are made where petra kvitica was a champion twice. a fighter on the court, petra now recovering after a fight for her life with a burglar who broke on into her home in the czech republic attacking her with a knife. the 26-year-old tennis star alarming fans with this tweet. i was badly injured on my left hand. i am shaken, but fortunate to be alive. the hard-hitting left hander managed to fight off the attacker and escape, rushed to the hospital. her playing hand lacerated in a struggle. today, kvitica is recovering after nearly four hours in surgery. >> all five fingers of that hand were hurt and, as well, two nerves, unfortunately. >> her publicist telling nbc, considering the extent of the

damage, the surgery went very well. violent attacks have cut short the careers of tennis champions before. monica sellas was the top player in the world in 1993 when she was stabbed in the back, cameras rolling, the sports world stunned. she struggled to bounce back, but anna chek vetosnaven never did. kvotiva's powerful left-handed ground strokes won her 19 titles, including two grand slams at wimbledon and the bronze at rio. >> this medal means a lot. >> it will be three months before she'll be able to lift a tennis racket, but -- >> from a mental standpoint, a comeback is possible. reinstilling that sense of safety for this particular tennis player, that's going to be important in her recovery. >> kvitova is putting on a brave face tweeting, if you know anything about me, i'm strong and i will fight this.

now, believe it or not, the attacker is still at large, police appealing to the public for help. kvitova will be in a cast for weeks. that means missing the australian open, the first grand slam event of the year. >> that is scary and we wish her the best. >> al is back this morning with a look at the with weather been hey, al. >> did you feel that tangling at about 5:45 this morning? >> was that winter? >> it was winter or you were with a peppermint patti. >> did you think of that beforehand? >> no, i didn't, beforehand. you think if i thought of of that beforehand, i would have said it? anyway, much warmer weather coming in for the beginning of winter. unseasonably warm temperatures. minneapolis, 14 degrees above average, cleveland, 47. 4 degrees above average. tallahassee at 68. as we move into tomorrow, that warm weather continues,

above-average temperatures for new orleans. look at what happens as we get into the weekend. chicago by sunday, 45. kansas city, 61. 73 in new orleans. orlando, one of the greatest theme parks ever, 82 degrees on sunday. we're going to get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds. >> it's christmas. >> yeah, i see the decorations. >> one, two, three, four -- >> la, la land is one of the most acclaimeded movies of the year. >> what are you doing right now? >> nothing. >> i'll see you in the movies. good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. it's not as cold, but still pretty chilly as you head out the door. it's 39 degrees in morgan hill, 45 in san jose and livermore.

oakland, 44 degrees and 48 now in san francisco. santa rosa at 38. highs this afternoon reaching near 60 degrees. even mid 60s along the coastline. half moon bay 65. livermore 63 and 59 today in oakland. we will have a storm that we'll be watching over the next couple days. >> and that's your latest weather. >> all right, al, thanks so much. coming up, '80s pop star richard marx helped subdue an unruly passenger. why he said the flight crew was not ready to handle that situation. and dealing with the last-minute holiday crush. what you need to know to make sure packages get to where they're going on time. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

just ahead, caroline kennedy filled with holiday cheer. the story behind an unusual video. we have to hear that.

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==topvo== two people are dead after a fi h very good morning to you. it is 7:26. i'm laura garcia-cannon. two people are dead after a fiery head-on crash in solano county. an nbc bay area photographer captured this video moments after the crash. simply tragic. it happened a little after midnight on peabody road east of interstate 80 near travis air force base. a man driving ahead of the crash noticed it in his rear view mirror. he turned back around. he could only pull one victim to safety as both cars burned. authorities have not identified the two people who died. traffic on peabody is still closed in both directions as they continue to investigation. let's check the forecast now with kari. the first official day of winter. >> it is. we have such a beautiful sunrise and some milder temperatures,

too, in the peninsula. we start out at 53 degrees, 45 for the north bay -- south bay, rather. the north bay at 38 degrees. in san francisco it is 48 degrees with highs today reaching the upper 50s to lower 60s. it will be actually warmer than average reaching 62 degrees in the tri-valley. a nice and calm day. we're gearing up for a storm in time for the holiday weekend. more updates on that coming up later. now as we head over to mike, he's tracking what's happening in the south bay. >> kari, we have to hunt for any issues here. that's not what we want to do. we want to show you the easy drive in the south bay. we have a crash st. thomas and hamilton. the freeways are moving great. recovering from earlier slowing we saw. still westbound across the bridge, richmond-san rafael bridge, the bay bridge we have the bid. we show the bay bridge toll plaza with the metering lights on. at the overpass, the flashing lights. back to you. another local news update in half an hour. hope to see you then. stay warm out there.

7:30 now on a wednesday morning. 21st day of december, 2016. winter arrived so we're warming things up with a little richard marx music, "should have known better" in honor of his heroics on a plane. people are talking about that. we'll have more on that story coming up in just a little while. and we're going to go outside and say hi to those nice people. first let's check the headlines. officials are trying to determine what caused this tragic explosion at a popular fireworks market near mexico city. the explosives caught on camera, more than 30 were killed, at least 70 others hurt. and german investigators still searching for whoever carried out that deadly attack on a christmas market in berlin. a man was arrested near the

scene but he has been released because of a lack of evidence. isis has claimed responsibility for the gruesome attack without an offer of proof. and the evacuation of aleppo is nearing an end. this morning about 3,000 people are waiting to leave after the evacuations of more than 25,000 others over the last week. now more on that wild scene on a flight. a passenger became unruly and richard marx jumped to action to help subdue him. his wife, daisy fuentes, filming the whole thing on her phone. gadi schwartz has that story. >> reporter: both richard marx and daisy fuentes are pack in the states after posting pictures of what looked like an all-out brawl with a passenger onboard a korean airline flight. the couple saying he was fighting with attendants and passengers for over four hours. a midair melee. flight attendants trying to subdue a passenger described as

aggressive and belligerent and getting a helping hand from none other than '80s heartthrob richard marx. the singer and songwriter behind songs like "right here waiting." ♪ in pictures posted to his wife daisy fuentes' facebook page, marx is seen holding a rope that was used to tie up the out of control passenger. other pictures show flight attendants armed with a taser and struggling to keep the violent passenger in his seat. fuentes writing a guy sitting in the next row from us got crazy and started attacking the flight attendants and passengers. when you started pushing the female staff and pulling them bite hair, richard was the first to help subdue him. marx and fuentes were flying to korea from vietnam where marx had performed some of the hits that made him famous. on board the plane no one was seriously injured, but marx

criticized flight attendants writing the all-female crew was clueless and not trained how to restrain this psycho. fuentes adding they didn't know how to use the taser and didn't know how to secure the rope around him. korean air releasing a statement saying in part the flight attendant did not fire the taser as the unruly passenger was moving around and there were other passengers near him. the flight attendant considered the safety of the other passengers, adding korean air sincerely appreciates mr. marx' help in restraining the unruly passenger. we are grateful for his participation and assistance. back in l.a., marx taking to twitter saying he is not a hero, adding, i just did what i hope anyone would do in the same situation. and it turns out after all that, the airport police released the passenger shortly after he was detained, but now the local police are picking up the investigation. matt, hoda, back to you. >> they released the guy who struggled with the flight crew for four hours? really? >> yeah.

i'm sure they're seeing what's going on all over the internet and those local police are getting back into that investigation. >> you can't believe what flight attendants have to deal with when you think about those situations. >> when they least expect it. >> mr. roker. >> what you got? >> turns out should have known better was our stage manager's wedding song. it's true, that's what he said. >> he said "right here waiting." >> oh, oh, i'm sorry. well, honest mistake, really. we're looking at an upper level low and a frontal system, bringing the two together will make for a very wet today, friday into saturday from the southwest all the way into the pacific northwest. northwest system will bring heavier rain and snow all the way down into the southwest. look at these rainfall totals. anywhere up to 2 to 3 inches of rain. flood threat possible from california east on into new mexico. the rest of the country today warming up here in the eastern half of the u.s. strong winds up in the plains.

sunshine through texas. high surf advisories in southern at least we have quiet weather today. temperatures starting out mostly in the mid 40s. it's 46 in palo alto. meantime it's 39 in morgan hill and 39 in napa. half moon bay in the mid 50s. a little spread in our temperatures, but we close things up as we go into this afternoon with highs right at about 61 degrees in the peninsula, tri-valley 62 degrees. 57 for san francisco and 59 in the east bay. north bay up to 64 degrees. overall, a very nice day. tomorrow will be just this nice and rain rolls in on friday. and rain rolls in on friday. we'll continue to track that.

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deadline to ship all u.p.s. second day air packages, all post service priority mail packages and fedex two-day deliveries. it's the final stretch. just three days until hannukah, four till christmas with a record 1.8 billion packages in the system this year. so here are five last-minute shipping deadlines you might want to remember. if you're using amazon, the deadline for two-day delivery is tomorrow. at walmart and k-mart.com, the last day for rush delivery is also tomorrow. the postal service says today is the deadline for priority mail delivery, but the priority mail express deadline is friday. and if you're a real procrastinator, there's an app for that. courier service post mates operating in major u.s. cities will pick up your order from select retailers and deliver it the same day, but that comes at a price. >> ship dping today so it will t there on time. >> i'm a traditionalist and i

like the postal. stuff gets there in a day or two. >> reporter: to handle the record flow, the shipping giants are getting even bigger, u.p.s. opening 15 new hubs and adding 95,000 temporary workers. fedex bringing on 50,000 workers. both companies determined to avoid a repeat of last year's shipping delays. >> thursday the end of the day. >> reporter: beth runs a u.p.s. store in dunkirk, maryland. >> the lines can stack up all the way to the front door and the boxes stack up all the way to the back door. >> reporter: meanwhile, 'tis also the season for running up credit card debt. who carries the most? alaskans with $7500 on average followed by new mexico, georgia, texas and florida with $5600. it's not cheap, making only minimal payments, it would take the typical credit card holder there almost 13 years to pay off the debt with a whopping $3600 in interest. a word of caution, as holiday

shoppers head into the final sprint. >> the last thing you want to do is ruin all those great holiday feelings by starting the new year with a holiday debt hangover that you're facing for the next few months. >> so the advice for the new year post holidays, dedicate at least 15% of the family income towards paying down credit card debt that. would bring the $3600 in interest down to $678 for the typical credit card holder in florida. guys, pray for good weather the next few days. that's going to really be the determining factor on your ship -- not your ship, on your present arriving there on time. >> otherwise your ship will sail. >> yes, it will. by the way, i tried to order an alexa yesterday for somebody and it can't get there until january 24th because they're back ordered. so if it's a hot gift, it's too late for some. just ahead, jimmy fallon's all-star christmas sing-along. you're going to love this one.

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we're all about new technology on this show. carson is in the orange room, going to show us something very cool, we think. >> perfect orange room story here, guys. mark zuckerberg's personal challenge for the year was to build a simple artificial intelligence system to run his house. on tuesday morning mark and his wife introduced jarvis, their new virtual assistant to the facebook community. have a look. >> good morning, jarvis. >> good morning, mark. it's saturday, so you only have

five meetings. room temperature is set to a cool 68 degrees. >> earlier this year i started building a simple a.i. to run our home. jarvis uses artificial intelligence to understand me and figure out what to do. jarvis also helps me get ready in the morning. fresh shirt. >> fire in the hole. >> jarvis knows when to make me breakfast. >> your toast is ready. >> all right. >> mark, your parents are coming in. >> thanks, jeffrey. >> it's jarvis. >> how about just play some songs that our whole family likes. ♪ >> what, i'm a dad now. this is what i listen. to if i don't want to talk, i can just text jarvis through a messenger bot that i built. >> mark, i'm trying to read in here. >> yeah, my bad. >> the video was watched almost 15 million times in just 15 hours. the voice you hear is, of course, oscar winner morgan

freeman. zuckerberg did a call-up and asked facebook users what voice would it be and it was the overwhelming response. at the end he asks for suggestions. he did all the coding and saying, hey, we could program jarvis to do anything. what are some ideas. stuff knee writing how about having jarvis work as eyes for the blind. he can help identify things around the house for people who can't see them. another one from ben, jarvis should keep an inventory of your fridge creating grocery lists and then give you the option to go get the list or have it automatically delivered to your home. any suggestions for jarvis, matt? >> no. but al is a little skeptical of this and doesn't think jarvis is actually a system that is real. >> if he can turn mark zuckerberg into tony stark, then i might be. >> this is a system in his house, you can read about it online. he has released -- he did all the coding for all of the programs.

mark built it himself. >> i don't buy it. >> during the break we'll look into it. just ahead, we'll get to the bottom of this strange christmas video starring caroline kennedy. and jenna heads to nashville for a it's so hot. we're the hottest toys, because we're only at toys"r"us! so it's not this lamp? no, it's not the lamp. toys"r"us has the hottest toys you can't get anywhere else!

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good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. as you head out the door, it's still chilly but not as cold as recently. starting out at 45 degrees in san jose and livermore. oakland 44, san francisco 48 degrees and napa starts the morning at 39. it will be a nice afternoon with highs reaching into the 50s and 60s as we track a couple of storm systems. this one moving across southern california will be moving off to the east. and then we turn our attention to another storm that will be moving in from the north and west. as we go towards the end of the week and in time for busy holiday travel, looking at a very soggy friday and a break on saturday with more rain on christmas day. i'll have more updates on that. now an update on what's happening on the roadways next. >> the freeway is almost completely clear. we have a crash in the south bay. mild slowing pour the freeways at most. over here, stevens creek boulevard east of 880, a major

crash on city streets. this is san carlos, it's the opposite side of the area from valley fair. a major crash may have you reroute in that general area. looking at the bay bridge toll plaza, live look out there. we have only the fast track lanes with the backup. that's a good easy drive. if you take cash to the toll plaza, you can get across and towards san francisco. we'll probably have the metering lights off in about half an hour. back to you. happening now, the number of dead is up to 31 in the massive explosion in a fireworks market near mexico city. really dramatic video is emerging. you can view it on our home page. one day after san francisco police name a new chief, the police commission will address what's being done about the use of force policies. also on our twitter feed, a record number of harbor seals are hunkering down, but it's not fisherman's wharf. check it out online. another local news update in about half an hour.

have a great morning.

it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, massive explosion. a chain reaction blast at a mexican fireworks market turns deadly. investigators searching for clues behind the cause of the explosion. we're live in mexico city. then country christmas. ♪ jenna sits down with lady antebellum's hillary scott and talks about getting to the heart of christmas with music, faith and family. >> merry christmas, y'all! >> and star-studded sing-along. ♪ jimmy fallon teams up with paul

mccartney, reese witherspoon, matthew mcconaughey and more for a special rendition of a holiday classic. today, wednesday, december 21st, 2016. mother and daughter trip from aiken, south carolina. >> good morning to south carolina. >> when i grow up, i want to be hoda! >> merry christmas, y'all, from texas! >> we're on "today." we're back now, 8:00 on this wednesday morning, the 21st day of december, 2016. you know, the temperature says 32 degrees. it doesn't feel too bad out here. >> not too bad. i like it.

>> what's that song? >> a little elton john, "step into christmas." >> nice. i like that. >> that's your pick? >> that's a good one. >> 'tis the season for gatherings of family and friends. and nobody, and i can attest to this, throws a party quite like my wife. there she is, siri. she's inside. she'll show you easy entertaining ideas for your next get-together. >> what was your wedding song? >> don't know if we really -- siri -- we didn't really have one. >> "at last." >> that's a good one. >> just curious -- >> it's a long story, i'll explain it later. >> how about if we head to the morning's top stories. it's time for the news at 8:00. we begin with that massive fireworks explosion in mexico. i'm kerry sanders. the authorities say with the death of three people who were rushed to the hospital overnight, the total number of who have died in this massive horrendous explosion now stands at 31. 32 people remain missing. more than 70 people were injured.

what set off this chain reaction remains unclear. there was one explosion followed by five more. the explosions at the fireworks market lasted for at least 25 minutes. getting fireworks this time of year in mexico is quite common, it's a tradition to get fireworks during the holiday season to set them off but this is really just horrific, leveling a neighborhood, killing so many people. the authorities have started investigation. this market has been the site of other explosions before. back in 2005 there were fireworks explosions that killed people and again in 2006. the authorities say they will get to the bottom of what happened here. they thought things were safe. matt. >> all right, kerry sanders, kerry, thank you very much. now to germany and an intensifying manhunt for the driver in monday's deadly christmas market attack in berlin. the media arm of isis has claimed responsibility for that attack that killed 12 people and injured nearly 50 others, but offered no proof.

according to german media, authorities are seeking a tunisian suspect, although nbc news cannot independently confirm that. on tuesday a 23-year-old pakistani man was released after police determined there wasn't nou enough evidence to connect him to the attack. with the attacker still at large, people are being urged to be vigilant. >> police in scottsdale, arizona, have released body cam video showing the arrest of wide receiver michael floyd. he was taken into custody last week after police found him asleep at the wheel at an intersection with his foot on the brake and the car was running. >> i'm going to try and wake him up. scottsdale police. put your car in park. i'm not going to ask again. step out of the car. >> why do you have to be like this? >> because you can't listen, that's the problem. >> reporter: floyd was released two days later and signed with the patriots the next day.

he is facing several charges. coming up next, wait until you see what happens when that golfer tries to tee off on a frozen lake. >> sounds like a good idea. then on popstart how music and movie stars are gearing up for the long holiday weekend. >> guess who's here, two-time oscar nominee viola davis is here. hey girlfriend, how's your cafe au lait? oh, it's actually... sfx: (short balloon squeal) it's ver... sfx: (balloon squeals) ok can we... sfx: (balloon squeals) i'm being so serious right now... i really want to know how your coffee is. it's... sfx: (balloon squeals) hahahaha, i had a 2nd balloon goodbye! oof, that milk in your coffee was messing with you, wasn't it? yeah. happens to more people than you think. try lactaid, it's real milk, without that annoying lactose. mmm. good right? yeah. lactaid. it's the milk that doesn't mess with you.

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we're back now, 8:07. what do you say we do a little trending. >> let's play. >> we welcome back jenna bush hager. >> how are you? >> this time of year a lot of people take holiday pictures, they take holiday videos and they post them online. we found one. to be perfectly honest, we weren't sure if it was real but this was posted by the u.s. ambassador to japan. who's that? it's caroline kennedy. so she dresses up like santa to spread a little christmas cheer. we thought we'd play it and let you see what you think of it. ♪ ♪ who's got a beard that's long and white ♪ >> santa's in the house. ♪ special night, special night

>> clever editing. >> merry christmas and happy holidays! >> wow. >> i've got to get me an ambassadorship. >> that's great. >> she's got a sense of humor. >> that's funny. >> and that editing was great. >> what could have gone wrong? the ambassador up on the roof. it is the holidays and so being with family is extra important and special this time of year and that is especially true when you are on the road a lot like hockey player patrick marrone. he plays for the oilers and scored a big deal but he scored that goal in his hometown of st. louis right in front of his son, anthony, who lives there. listen to how patrick's tone changes when he's asked about that moment. >> the first period wasn't really our period. i thought the goalie handled the puck too much for us to get our

forecheck and the second and third period we're a hard team to handle. i tell myself i have to get to the net. so it all felt good and especially in my hometown. >> the goal was great but i wonder what you think of this reaction by your son and family. >> it's pretty cool. pretty emotional. but pretty cool, but i don't get to see him as much and it's pretty special. >> and he thinks that of you as well. hey, patrick, thanks a lot. christmas is on the way, more time with anthony. >> absolutely. >> i just fell in love with that guy all over again. for anyone who's been away from their loved ones during the holidays and there they are, they pop up. on instagram he posted the image and he said i love the game, but he is much bigger than the game. >> i have a friend who plays for the islanders and the season started, the nhl and they're gone. they're gone a lot. they miss their kids. it's nice to see them be so emotional.

>> as parents, we all want our kids to be proud of us. >> look at carson getting misty too. it's winter, right, first day? so you think about golf, right? not really. you think about golf, you think about warm, sunny places. what happens when you combine golf with a frozen pond? all right. well, let's just show you what happened when one guy tried it, okay? takes a swing. wait, wait, wait. we should play that again, okay? watch this. >> oh, oh, oh. >> right through the ice. >> that's not good. >> somebody laughing in the background shooting the video obviously, thank goodness dropped the camera quickly enough to go help this guy out from the water. >> i hate to be a downer, but that's a big danger, people out on ice that is not really frozen enough. >> and you know what, you could almost see how dark that ice was. it just didn't look like it was thick enough. >> and he wasn't wearing his spikes. he had his golf shoes on.

get anchored. >> all right, carson. >> the takeaway looked pretty good. >> the takeaway is don't do that. this morning we'll talk to you about the stars and how they're getting into the holiday spirit. katy perry and orlando bloom spreading holiday cheer to those who need it the most. they visited children at the children's hospital in los angeles on tuesday. the hospital sharing these photos on their facebook page. they sang carols, handed out gifts and of course posed for photos. jimmy fallon bringing together the joy of christmas and one of the most anticipated holiday movies. it's in our sister company universal and it is out today and features of voices of stars like reese wither spoon, scarlett johansson and matthew mcconaughey. so he recruited them for a sing-along. ♪ simply having a wonderful christmastime ♪

♪ simply having a wonderful christmastime ♪ ♪ simply having a wonderful christmastime ♪ >> jimmy and his friends having some help from sir paul mccartney. how are some other stars celebrating this season? there's the queen of christmas herself, mariah carey. she dressed up for the holiday in a way that only she can. chrissy teigen's daughter, luna, sat on santa's lap and by the look on her face did not enjoy that visit. there's miley cyrus. her christmas says the tree isn't the only thing getting lit this year. there's your popstart. if you get that lie on the ice and you're playing golf, just take an unplayable. it's worth one shot. now to the other reason jenna is here, her special holiday series jenna's holiday

christmas. she caught up with a country star in nashville. >> yeah, hillary scott brings her powerful voice to the country group lady antebellum but this year she's thankful for a special album and invaluable memories with her family. ♪ it's a quarter after 1:00 and i'm all alone and i need you now ♪ >> hillary clinton, the lady in lady antebellum, seven-time grammy award-winner and mom to 3-year-old eisley, last year taking a break to work with her family. the result, a christian album called "love remains." >> when you look back at this year of creating this album together, how has it brought your family closer? >> we've been able to really grow even deeper in our relationship. it's the heartbeat of our family. the ups and downs of what we've been through but also that we've leaned on our faith to get through those good times and bad

times. >> the project started as a way to honor her grandfather, who passed away five years ago. >> he was like my second dad. that was the deepest loss that i had ever experienced at that time. >> but while the album was coming together, hillary suffered a miscarriage. writing about her loss in her most personal song to date, the faith-filled first single "thy will." ♪ thy will be done >> this song in particular has touched people's hearts right where they needed it. >> and really, isn't that the spirit of giving and of this time of the year. >> yes. >> when you think back about how this album has given you that, has given you the opportunity to talk about loss, but also to talk about hope. >> my hope for this record was that it would bring hope. that people would listen to it in their cars on the way to work or cooking dinner at home and just -- it would meet them right where they are. >> and this album came out earlier this year but it really rings true during this season. >> well, i'd like to think so.

you know, the subject matter being about the lord and our faith and that is something that we celebrate at christmas, the birth of jesus, but also you can celebrate it all year round. >> music runs in hillary's blood. her mom, linda davis, her dad, lane scott, and her 16-year-old sister, riley, all joined her in the recording studio. one of hillary's earliest christmas memories, performing onstage with her parents. >> the first memory i have of mom introducing me onstage to sing, we sang "amazing grace" together. >> despite their losses, more than ever, they are grateful for each other. >> this year you're thankful for? >> i'm thankful for time with my family and time with my friends. >> i'm thankful for my little girl. >> 32 years of marriage. >> everybody's healthy. >> favorite christmas carol. >> "silent night." ♪ silent night, holy night

♪ all is calm, all is bright >> music, faith, love. cherishing the reason for the season. >> i brought y'all a little something from my family, the "today" show family. >> perfect! >> merry christmas, y'all! >> merry christmas! >> oh, merry christmas y'all! i have to say, standing at that piano, it's what everybody dreams of. i just wish i had a family of musicians. i tried to sing along. >> you have a family of politicians. >> what's more fun? what's more fun? >> all right, jenna, you're going to be back again on friday and catch up with another country music sensation, brett eldridge, right? >> yes. he's a cutie. >> the very southern jenna bush hager. >> i get to nashville and

immediately start saying y'all. i'm coffee at starbucks and i'm like thank, y'all. and i eat a lot of biscuit. >> mr. roker, check of the weather. >> how about a look at what's going to go down on christmas weatherwise. well, out west we're looking at heavy rain in california, mountain snows in the pacific northwest, some snow around the mid-mississippi river valley, wet weather down to the south and mild along the eastern seaboard. christmas eve, some light snow in northern new england, upstate new york, wet weather down through the southeast. rocky snow in the plains, out bes west, and on christmas day unseasonably mild. sunshine along the seaboard. look for wet weather as you get into the mid-plains and mid-mississippi river valley. looks like a white christmas as you get into the northern plains and we're in for a beautiful day, and we're seeing a nice sunrise this morning. a live look outside at the

golden gate bridge. it's still chilly outside but not as cold as the past few mornings. only at 50 in san francisco. santa rosa dropped down to 37. highs will reach into the upper 50s to low 60s, up to 63 in palo alto, san jose, as well as livermore and 65 today at half moon bay. >> and that's your latest weather. hoda. viola davis is a force to be reckoned with on both the small and the big screen. she's already racked up golden globe and sag nominations for her latest role in the new movie, it's a terrific film called "fences." davis stars as a loving wife and mother whose husband is not content with how his life turned out. take a look. >> you're not listening to me. i'm trying to explain it to you the best way i know how. it's not easy for me to admit that i've been standing in the same place for 18 years. >> well, i've been standing with you. i've been right here with you,

troy. i've had a life too. i gave 18 years of my life to stand in the same spot as you. don't you think i ever wanted other things? don't you think i had dreams and hopes? what about my life, what about me? >> viola davis, good morning. >> good morning. >> watching that scene, you want to stand up and applaud for every woman out there who stood in the background for so much of her life and wanted to stand tall. >> absolutely. >> tell us about rose, this character. she's incredible. >> well, i think rose is exactly what you said. she's every woman. she's complete in her journey. when you meet her, she's in the background, she's doing what every woman was doing in the '50s, just holding her family together, loving them, joyful at times, maybe she's frustrated with her husband but keeping it together until she's delivered this traumatic news. and she goes through her pain, she does what she has to do and in the end there's forgiveness, there's accountability.

she is complete in her journey. that's how i describe her. >> oh, i love that. watching you and denzel together on the screen is magic. it is simply magic. >> thank you. >> describe the connect that you have with denzel. >> well, i think there's an easiness because i just like him. i just like him. i'm a friend and a fan. and also because it's just our dedication to the work, you know. and august wilson, august wilson leaves everything on the page. there's nothing you have to massage. sometimes you get material, you have to -- >> work it. >> yeah. you have to make a filet mignon out of a fried chicken dinner, you know. although i like fried chicken, you know what i'm saying? but you know what i mean. but this is just perfectly written. >> he also -- he was on with matt, denzel was, and he said this is viola's year. he said this repeatedly in interviews, like this is -- it's sort of like your career and life is coming to sort of a

crescendo right now. does it feel that way for you? we hear about the award nominations and things like na. >> you know what, i'm going to say it does, but it's not just because of fences and the awards, it's probably because i feel more comfortable in my skin at 51. i didn't -- i didn't expect that to happen. i was bracing for impact at 50. at 51, i was bracing for the fall, you know, those freefall rides, like tower of terror, i was bracing for the fall. and the fall hasn't happened. i've been blissfully comfortable in my own skin. >> what happened? tell us. we all want a little of this, so what happened? >> you know what, i think what's happened is probably just so many years of not feeling comfortable that maybe i just got tired. or maybe all the experiences i've had have marinated to this beautiful pot of just me. and i feel confident. i feel energized. and it's my daughter, genesis,

you know, that's part of it. >> how old is she? >> she's 6 going on 35. >> that must have helped you when you were developing your role playing rose. and again, this is a beautiful film. but that motherhood -- >> absolutely. >> how much did that play? >> it played all -- everything. when i was on broadway, i didn't get that final scene where she's talking to her son, cory, about growing into his self and not chasing his father's shadow. i didn't get that. six years ago i was like i don't get it. now that i'm a mother, you totally get it. >> i was watching a lot of videos of you and some of them were beautiful speeches that brought everyone to tears but there was an interview you did with oprah a little while back. there was something about that interview because you talked about your childhood and you said i know what it's like to be hungry. as a young child to be poor and hungry and how you appreciate

everything. and for some reason that moment struck me just so deeply. how has what you've got now, how do you appreciate it more when you look back at where you've been in your life? >> i appreciate it because i've had nothing. you know, when you're poor, you're invisible. i don't care what anyone says, poor people are invisible. it's unfortunate. but what i have now is because i have to work so hard to get everything that i've gotten in life, it's like the saying the happily ever after comes after you've done the work, you know. and so, therefore, i appreciate the little things, like food, like a well stocked cabinet, like having my daughter have a nice coat, like having a husband who loves me and who's there for me or being able to reach in my pocket and give. i don't have to have alexander mcqueen dresses. i don't have to have a big house, although i do have a big house.

>> you're allowed. >> but it's the small things that just make me bask in the glory and just being alive and healthy, you know. >> well, "fences" is spectacular. congrats on all the accolades, the ones you've gotten and the ones ahead. and you're going to get a star on the hollywood walk of fame. this is your year. >> this is my year. >> please go see "fences." it opens in theaters on christmas day. carson. >> thank you, hoda. all right, siri is going to show us some creative ideas for entertaining not just adults. >> no, kids are invited. >> kids are invited to the party as well for the holiday i'm ...

==topvo== two people are dead after a fiery head-on crash in solano county. an nbc bay area photographer two people dead after a fiery head-on crash in solano county. they captured this video moments after the crash east of interstate 80 near travis air force base. a man driving ahead of the crash noticed it in his rearview mirror and turned back around. he said he could only pull one victim to safety as both cars burned. there's no update on the survivors injuries. authorities have also not identified two people who died. traffic on peabody is still closed in both directions as they investigate. in the meantime we have a problem out there this morning near sunnyville, mountainview.

>> nothing compared to the crash you showed. a sig alert, take a half hour to clear. first 20 minutes new york city movement. then one of two lanes that were closed reopening in the last couple of seconds. southbound 101 still closed toward 85 and the connector there. be prepared for that. you may want to get towards the surface streets. the rest of the bay looks raet good, passing san mateo, dumbarton bridge. fasttrack lanes, sudden slowdown, we may have a crash past toll plaza. i'll check on that, laura, back to you. >> sounds good. we'll be back with another news update in half an hour.

we're back now, 8:30 on this wednesday morning, december 21st, 2016. you know what's really nice? viola davis sticking around to be part of our toy drive, serving as our lovely elf this morning, collecting unwrapped toys for children all across the country who need some things brightened up for them this holiday season, so viola, thank you very much. don't forget, "fences," the movie opens up on christmas day. i've seen it, it's extraordinary. >> it is. and so is viola davis, we love her. coming up, need some last-minute gift ideas? our trusty experts are standing by. we'll give you the best books to

get you into the holiday season. and dressing up the family for the holidays, we'll do it without breaking the bank. you'll love these looks. how about a champagne shooter, anyone? >> sure. >> siri has brought her seasonal cheer along with very simple easy entertaining ideas for all the parties that you're going to be throwing here. >> mr. roker, how about a check of the weather? >> all right. first of all, for today warming up here in the east. some strong winds in the northern plains. high surf advisories in the southern california area. let's look ahead toward tomorrow as you get ready for that christmas weekend. we've got some snow in upstate new york, northern new england. heavy rain in the southwest. plenty of sunshine through the gulf coast. unseasonably mild in the plains and some wet weather moving into the pacific good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we have a beautiful start to this wednesday morning. it's the first day of winter. it's 53 degrees in the peninsula

and a beautiful sky overhead. 49 degrees now in san francisco. it's still cold but it warms up nicely as we go through the day. up to 62 degrees tri-valley south 63 degrees. north bay 64 and 57 today in san francisco. tomorrow will be another dry day and then a storm moving in on friday. >> that's your latest weather. don't forget, to get that weather any time you need it, you go to the weather channel on cable. >> mr. roker, thank you very much. are you still looking for a perfect gift for your loved ones? may we suggest a book. here with their favorites to gift this season, isaac fitzgerald, "new york times" best sellers emma straub and brad. there's a lot of pressure here because if you tell someone you recommend a book to someone, you're asking them to make a rather lengthy commitment to that book so it better go well. let's start with fiction, okay?

isaac, why don't you start. what's your choice for fiction. >> "moon glow." >> why do you like that? >> this book is fantastic. there's so much for him to geek out about in this book. world war ii, python hunting, family and most of all rockets traveling into space. >> emma, what's your pick for fiction. >> my pick is a called "the wangs versus the world." it's a funny book which makes it an extra good present. it's a road trip story about a chinese immigrant family who's just lost all their money, they lost their fortune. it's funny and quick and a good read. >> brad, fiction? >> it is really hard to get better as an author and michael connelly does in every book. "wrong-sided good-bye" is fantastic. this is about a man who had an affair and he's very successful,

thinks maybe he had a child. bosc hchl is tracking a serial rapist for a down on their luck police department. >> does it have any rockets in it? >> no rockets or pythons. >> that's fine. let's move on to nonfiction. people like a little bit of something different to read during the holidays. what did you pick, isaac? >> back to rockets. we've got hidden figures. seriously wonderful nonfiction book basically about african-american mathematician women who do so much for our country in the space race even as the country is doing them wrong here at home. a wonderful read before it becomes a movie. so read it before you watch it. >> nonfiction. >> mine is "you can't touch my hair" by phoebe robinson. phoebe robinson is a comic and has a really popular podcast and it's just filled with pop culture and like really, really hilarious advice. >> you said reading it made you

wish you had her phone number. >> it's true. >> brad? >> "born to run." this is like sitting on a bar stool next to the boss having him tell you a story. it's gritty, emotional and very real. it gave me a brand new appreciation for springsteen. let's move on to coffee table books. atlas obscura. >> this is packed with fascinating places all around the world. this is the perfect gift for the person who thinks they have done it all and seen it all. this shows there's so much more in the world to explore. >> you need to find some enthusiasm. wh you for >> mine is "in the company of women." it's a series of interviews with really interesting women from all over. you know, there's thelma golden and others and interesting women who tell you all their secrets. >> brad. >> muhammed ali unfiltered put

together with derek jeter and his team and ali's family. never-before-seen photographs of ali, fantastic. gorgeous book. >> i have that book, it's fantastic. let's finish with cookbooks. dy h enough cookbooks. what did you pick? >> let's go with the man, anthony bourdain. first cookbook in over ten years. he's back again, a lot of explore themes in all my books. this is him getting you set up for things that you can cook at home for your friends and family. >> not too challenging? >> i'm the worst cook and i could do it. >> that's important. emma. >> my is "small victories." this cookbook is my favorite kind of cookbook because it makes you feel resourceful and capable, which is important. and also i made the chocolate cake from this cookbook for thanksgiving and it's the only thing my 3-year-old ate, the only thing. >> brad. >> i think this is kitchen 101, "my perfect pantry." 50 ingredients to have in your house to make 150 different

meals. a great one to have at home. >> you guys also have things of your own. knives and ink, that's a cool book. all about chefs and their tattoos. >> it's basically me and wendy, a wonderful illustrator. we teamed up to bring you the tattoos and stories behind them on chefs all over the country. >> modern lovers and foreign agents as well. now the crew will descend and start taking them home. you can find more on our website, today.com. coming up, festive, budget-friendly fashions for your whole family. first,hiis "today" on nbc. ts

we are back now at 8:40 with "today's style." the holidays are time for festive dinners and gatherings and parties, so how do you keep your entire family looking sharp without going broke? lilliana vasquez is a member of our style squad.

hey, girl. >> hi. >> so we have different settings. >> yes. >> and we are going to get everybody decked out for their particular setting. first up, you want to look good on your sunday best. [ doorbell ] >> is that the colon family? >> it is. >> come on in. where would you like to stand? right here? just stand right here. >> let's start with these adorable tots. here on intela, she's wearing the cutest little you know corn sweater, this little skirt and a pompom headband. how cute is this little guy. this is christian in an outfit from old navy. let's talk about mom and dad. they have two little ones under 5 so they need to be comfortable and able to chase them around. so she is in comfortable pants from ann taylor and bright coat and dad is styling -- >> i-sorry, what's happening here? >> layers make him look sharp, modern and on trend. >> i love it, do you like the

outfits? >> love them. >> thanks to the gorgeous colon family heading to church. now it's time to head to a party. wait, do i see the nagy family? >> that's them. >> hi. >> and i like their style. they have got champagne and are all ready for new year's eve. >> can i point out your glasses are upside down? but i like them. >> just leave them like that. >> tell us about the outfit. >> start with mom because she's leading the pack. it's all about mixed metallics. so pam is showing us this beautiful skirt from windsor, under $50 on that. lace shoes add that festive but really fancy touch to her look. beautiful faux fur jacket from forever 21. >> look at your clutch. stop it with your clutch. >> it's all about the touches of metallic. on dad we have a suit that goes from formal to fun because of how we styled it. this is from jack's threads. he's got a sweat or and the white kicks make it playful and

youthful. let's talk about these brothers. they're in matching bomber jackets. so on braxton, our little one, we have this really fun bomber jacket from zara.com. and look at bryce's sneakers. this is the shoe envy situation right here. everyone in this room wants those silver sneakers available at zara.com. he begged me to put him in sweat pants so i put him in some joggers which are like a skinny sweat pant. you have to remember, they're kids. they want to be cool, fun, relaxed and casual. >> we're going to head over, if it's time to take a family portrait -- >> okay. >> and we've got -- we can hear you. we've got the rowen family. hi, guys. >> hi, guys. >> everybody is happy? yay! >> because santa is coming. >> okay. so if you need to take your kids -- he's not having a great moment? does he need to get down. >> that's okay, he can get down. >> it's okay. >> so tell us about what's left.

>> it's all about coordination without matching. so pick two things that are similar. so we did plaids and reds. each person in the family has some element of one of those two styles. let's start with mom who's in the plaid skirt, leather jacket but i gave her sneakers so she can chase after these twins. and then on who ran away, he looked so handsome. let's talk about our very stylish grandparents. we've got a fisherman sweater and the super cute boyfriend jean. so cute on her. >> by the way, you look adorable. >> she does, youthful. and on grandpa and our littlest one we have matching christmas sweaters, skinny chinos right here. those are from uniform and then the stars of our show are the twins. derrick and porter. but we're down to just porter. so porter, will you show us what

you're wearing? give us a little spin. how cute is this? little skinny jean and check out his little plaid shoes. >> by the way, perfect christmas picture happening right now. >> you got it? >> you guys, thank you. that was beautiful. thanks, lilliana. you guys were terrific. >> thank you, guys. >> for more looks, check out today.com/style. and now that you know what to wear, here's the question, what are you going to eat or drink? siri is up next. she'll tell us how to entertain stress-free. first this is "today" on nbc. that's okay. that's okay. drive me wild ♪

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parties. >> siri daly is creator of the blog seriously delicious. good morning. >> nice to see you. >> this is all matt lauer world right here. >> this is our wine and cheese party. with my parties, especially a wine and cheese party, i like to have a really simple, elegant decor. i don't do table cloths, just a nice table with not big flower arrangements, especially during the holidays. it distracts from the table so i like just simple green shrubs by evergreen, some red holly, some scent-free candles and then it's all about your cheese board. >> when you're doing a cheese board, how many different variety ofs cheese do you need to have? >> i like a hard, a semi soft and something like a triple cream or brie. we love drunken goat. i like to label all of my cheeses. >> where did you find these little things? >> aren't they cute? you can also find little chalk board cheese boards and then write on the actual board. about 3 ounces per person.

another big thing is to take your cheese out about a half hour to an hour before people come. >> so it softens up. >> and then you've got to combine it with yummy meats. >> yes. you want to do some fruits, honey is a really key ingredient. >> matt and i get to a party and this is here, we never leave this table. >> so you need more than 3 ounces per person if you guys are invited. >> how do you know what wines to pair with cheeses? >> with a triple cream, a chardonnay is very nice. it's subtle and lets the cheese shine. with a hard cheese, you want something a little more bold like a cabernet. these are really cute. everyone loses their wine glasses. you can find these on etsy. it's chalk board and write your name on it. >> just leave me right here. you take it away. >> what's next? >> now we're having girls night in. >> champagne and chocolate?

jackpot. >> a really fun idea for sh champagne is to put fruit on a skewer and freeze it. it's a little ice cube, a little stirrer. would you like one? i know we're not in college anymore, but these are champagne jello shots. >> how do you make that? >> you take -- this has ginger ale, champagne and a little vodka too and you sdaudissolve with some gelatin, and you put it on the stove, dissolve the gelatin and put it in little ice cube trays. >> the boys have taken our jello shots. put it in ice cube trays or a little loaf pan but these are cute. >> let's talk about the fondue portion. >> everybody likes to customize their desserts. we have a pretzel bar with chocolate fondue, we have

truffles. >> this is so delicious. >> exactly. and there's all these various toppings, like crushed candy canes, nuts, sprinkles and then you can customize your truffles or your pretzels. >> and pretty easy, this entire setup is pretty simple? >> this table is wrapped in wrapping paper. everybody has leftover wrapping paper around this time of year. so it's festive. little candy canes, mason jars and here are our toppings. this is the truffle portion. so we have -- >> you just dunk it in here? >> exactly. >> drop it in, roll it around. >> here's some pistachios, some glitter. not glitter, that would not be edible. we don't want to dip it in glitter. we have glitter over at the kids' table. al, they stuck you at the kids' table. >> that's okay, hot chocolate. >> a hot chocolate bar. this is schnapps and baileys. so we have crushed candy canes,

caramel sauce, chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. for the table wrap it in craft paper and throw some crayons and they can draw all over the table. these are marshmallows that you put on a little q-tip, dip it in water first and then little sprinkles and it sticks and then makes their hot chocolate festive and colorful. >> little ornament stuff? >> at any kids party i like to have crafts, colors so that they stay busy. you can make homemade little christmas tree ornaments over here, make cards for your parents. >> can i just say really nice, great, really nice, fantastic. this is great. >> also a round table is great for the holidays because you stand around -- i love eating at a round table. >> tommy hogan, one of our camera operators, has been

stealing meat the whole time. siri, this is very nice. thank you. happy holidays to you. get those ideas at today.com/food. we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc. here, that's for you. >> oh, okay. ♪

and we are back at 8:53. great crowd still hanging around with us. >> where did siri go? >> she's coming back. >> she's got a marshmallow in

her mouth. >> al will take a check of birthdays. >> let's spin the smucker's jar and see who we've got. mr. paul miller of frederick, maryland, celebrating his 102nd birthday. worked for the peace corps and even owned a soda fountain shop. love that. jean romalia, 108. another entrepreneur. owned her own general store. happy wom103rd bitter day to rot springer. worked for the u.s. postal service for 35 years. we salute your service. miss alice parker from north carolina celebrating 100 years. she collects magnets. she's very atrack tif and trinkets from all around the world. william usury, a poet from nashville, tennessee. huge fan of coconut cake. who isn't? and a happy 100th birthday to henry goehres of winter garden,

florida. he is never without that trustee fedora. that is a nice-looking hat. if you know of someone celebrating their 100th birthday head to today.com/celebrates. >> this is so good. >> you should just put a little bowl of lipitor right here. this is good. really good. what do you guys have coming up? >> jenna bush hager will be joining us and we have the funniest family videos of the year and some last-minute gifts that you can order that will arrive on time, which we like. >> i was on amazon yesterday and not much will make it in time for christmas. today might be the day. >> today is the biggest shipping day. >> siri, thank you.

i'm ... ==topvo== a new battle is brewing in oakland - in the aftermaf the midpoint of your week, good wednesday morning at 8:56. i'm sam brock. a new battle in oakland in the aftermath of the deadly fire. a temporary halt of fire inspections in oakland. the petition will be delivered to oakland city hall during a building inspectors meeting. the petition requesting all unsolicited inspections of artist dwellings. people in oakland say eviction

notices are starting to appear at some warehouses and underground locations. the petition has already gathered more than 10,000 signatures. happening right now "today in the bay" at city hall, a live report for midday newscast. meantime look for updates in our twitter feed. a missing former reality tv contestant found dead in southern california. now the man she was last seen with was under arrest. home page link to the report from l.a. sister station. you know who the warrior's dancing mom is? trending now nbcbayarea.com, the dancing mom took it up a notch last night in a full court routine with warriors. she's raising her own bar. you can link to that video in our twitter feed. see you with more news.

's.

this morning on "today's take" one of the most buzzed about movies of the season, "fences." we'll sit down with the stars. then laugh until it hurts with the funniest viral videos of the year. and last-minute gifts that will arrive by christmas with free shipping, right now. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today's take." live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> welcome on this wednesday morning, december 21st, the first official day of winter. i'm jenna, along with sheinelle jones and -- >> good morning. >> we're here. we thought al was going to be with us. >> i just looked at the clock, it's time. >> he's busy? >> ho ho ho ho. ho ho.

hello and ho ho ho. >> well, hello, christmas. >> well, hello. >> aloha. >> i'm a little poinsettia. >> aloha. >> aloha. >> i'm not sure what to say, but i will say that based on our earlier conversation this morning, i knew today would be a day. is this a cardinal? >> necessity, there is. >> you have things you don't even know about. >> that's right. >> there's a bird right on your breast. >> robin red breast. >> you can't put that on and not smile. merry christmas, happy holidays. >> my wife, deborah, ordered this for me. >> i would like to get one for henry. do you know where it's from? >> i don't. shynestie. i think they're the folks that did the david s. pumpkin suit. >> if you didn't know before, we're in the final countdown to christmas. >> that's right. >> it's christmas. >> so your favorite tradition would be wearing one of these suits? >> i've never worn one of these but i kind of like it. >> this could be a new start.

>> it could be. >> what is your favorite christmas tradition? >> growing up, it was when you got to be old enough to go to midnight mass and then come home with the adults and you got to open a present. >> okay. >> and that was -- that was a big deal. otherwise the little kids stayed in bed, stayed home and then opened their presents the next morning. >> but the big kids. >> the big kids, the adults. >> stayed up late. >> what about you? >> my favorite, which may sound odd to some people, is our christmas eve mexican feast. we eat mexican food, we still do to this day. but henry, who is from richmond, virginia, he's like y'all eat nachos on christmas eve? and then he's like i'm totally in. who doesn't love enchiladas. a lot of texans eat tamales and enchiladas on christmas eve and we are those texans. >> a lot of us our memories are from the past. for me, my grandmother every year, she gets out her records,

nat king cole and gospel music and it fills the entire house. homemade cinnamon rolls. the decorations around the house. it's to the point i'm thinking do i need to get a record player? i want to do that for my own family. >> i have a record player. >> do you really? >> yes, you can borrow it. my mom has a great record collections. >> are they back? >> vinyl is huge. this year vinyl outsold streaming music. >> really? >> look at you, al roker. >> so anyway, i want to bring that tradition back. but the music in the house and just all of that. i feel like the last few years we've just been running all over the place. it's time to slow down and -- i don't know what this is but -- >> just do it. >> take it in. >> sort of like a meditation move. >> have you tried the coffee yet? >> no. she doesn't drink it. >> oh, that's right. but you're really missing out. >> it's a cold brew coffee. >> do you have it? >> i do have it. should i try it? >> give it a try. >> i'm not a coffee drinker.

>> she's going to be bouncing off the walls. >> that's not bad. i feel like a commercial where they sip it and go delicious. >> that's good. that's an endorsement. >> what is it? >> it's cold brew coffee. i started making it. >> i'm going to order the ingredients and make it on christmas morning, if i get around to it. >> how about a christmas card? >> yes, i've done a christmas card. here we go from my family to yours. that's a friend of mine. that's actually a cartoon of us, artwork of us in our neighborhood. that's henry, my husband in the dad jeans. >> how cute is this? >> and those are my little babes. >> i don't want to show mine now. and that's my best friend, a photographer. she comes over. >> that is adorable. >> yes, i know. >> the bar is so high now. gone are the days where you just sit and smile. >> well, we just went creative this year because we felt like it. we had the time. >> how about yours. >> so this is what i have on my phone quite frankly, because they just asked me so i don't

have the actual card but this is the picture i used. so my twins are on the bottom. they just turned 4. on the top it says holiday cheer. >> they're so close to that fire, though. >> is that a real fire? >> that's that screen you pulled out and you scoot forward. it was like a one-hour place in my hometown of wichita, kansas. then my 7-year-old doesn't like this picture because he's losing all his teeth. he said, mom, why did you pick that one? but i think it's adorable when they start losing teeth. >> it's very cute. our christmas card, we did -- >> there we go. >> there we go. >> i love it. >> and lela has a sweater -- deborah ordered all the christmas. it's merry christmas, you filthy animal. >> that card screams -- your wife is this beautiful ball of energy. ball isn't the right word, but force of energy. >> she arranged the whole thing. >> i love that. >> she did the whole thing, the sweaters, the photographer. it was -- >> she has such a good, good spirit. i will say back in the day when

i used to take christmas card pictures with my parents, there were some tears, like in the high school age. did y'all ever have the issue where it's like, dad! or where you're grumpy at each other. because you're in the middle and somebody else wanted to be in the middle or you don't feel like you look that cute and your dad goes what's that dress? . sometimes family photos add tension. >> have you heard about this whole car pool karaoke situation? >> this is fantastic. we love james corden. >> it's everybody's dream. well now, guess what? there is a chance that you right now sitting at home, how about in for a cool prize, you can sit in the car next to james corden and he's teaming up with the hiv charity red and he's offering fans a chance to join him to sit in that seat. here's the catch. you donate just a minimum of $10. >> i love that. >> that's not bad. >> that's great. i've dreamed about doing this with him because he's so much fun. and i've thought about what song would i choose. >> oh, that's good. >> so it leads me to ask you,

what song would you choose? >> i'd do "philadelphia freedom." ♪ >> here's your chance. ♪ because i love you ♪ shine the light ♪ >> there you go. wasn't that a genius idea? >> what's yours? >> so mine -- everybody knows i love beyonce and i love janet jackson, but my go-to karaoke song, "honey i'm home" shania home. >> i would never expect that from you. >> nobody would expect it. ♪ >> she's got moves and everything. i like it. sheinelle. you maybe don't want to hear this but two words, meatloaf. "i would do anything for love."

♪ i would do anything for love ♪ i would do anything for love ♪ but i won't do that >> i don't have a brush, but i have my pen. that was good. >> this is the my favorite part, the kcrescendo. >> we're going to show you the perfect entertainment for your holiday party, or maybe not. you be the judge after these you be the judge after these messages. ♪ ♪ ♪ . . . . ♪ ♪ ♪

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hey there, hi. why do people have eyebrows? why do people put milk on cereal? oh, are you reading why people put milk on cereal? why does your tummy go "grumbily, grumbily, grumbily"? why is it all (mimics a stomach grumble) no more questions for you! ooph, that milk in your cereal was messing with you, wasn't it? yeah, happens to more people than you think... try lactaid, it's real milk, without that annoying lactose. good, right? mmm, yeah. i got your back. lactaid. it's the milk that doesn't mess with you. all right. we're back with more of "today's take." so we were discussing this during the break and jenna said she wants to try this game, but i think you want to watch the video first. if you're looking for a way to spice up the holiday party, check out this video of folks playing a new game sweeping the nation -- >> poop the potato.

>> yes. you take a potato, you put it between your legs, your thighs. you've got to carry it across and whoever can pop the most potatoes wins. >> is this for real? >> people are eating their cereal. >> yeah, exactly. >> i'm usually game for anything. i thought it would be like hot potato. >> well, it is in in a way. and then there's another version where they use a watermelon, but that's another story. no, i'm only kidding. but i don't know that that would be the family party game to play. >> no, no. >> do you want to try it? >> no. that's the thing. i always try everything, but that one would be caught on the internet and i feel like it would have a life of its own. >> can't get away from that. >> even if the whole family does it, i'll just watch. >> no, no, no. there's no good that come from that. holiday is a great time, a

lot of people go to the movies, curl up on the couch. there's some movie anniversaries this week. 49 years ago, the "the graduate" came out. >> can you believe that? >> one word, son. plastics. >> i'm sitting here quiet because i've never seen it. >> oh, it's so good. >> i'm ashamed. >> and then 25 years begins one of my favorites, "father of the bride." >> one of our favorites, a guy who plays the piano in the wedding scene, steve tyrel, who's currently performing on cafe carlisle -- >> i watched this movie with my dad the night before we had our rehearsal dinner. >> did you cry? >> i cried. it was just fun. fun to watch that movie. so many people go through that same thing. >> can you believe, 25 years, it's been 25 years? and look at this one, it's been 20 years yesterday since "scream." >> the movie "scream"? >> this is a christmas classic? >> it's not necessarily a

christmas classic, but they counter programmed and of course it becomes this monster hit. >> it does, but nothing says christmas like -- >> like horror? >> stabbing somebody in the back? >> i guess you could -- >> y'all that was almost a really, really bad idea. the word f almost came out. i don't know who you are, but that's not cool. >> it's got to be alex. no! >> oh, my gosh. >> wow, wow. >> my heart is pounding. >> i almost just -- >> i've never seen "scream." >> really? >> i'm not a big horror movie fan. >> i'm not either but this one is different because you know -- it's kind of silly, scream. >> how are y'all talking about this still? >> she's shaking. >> i used to have people protect me from people like that man. i'm sweating.

josh! >> here we go. oh, yeah, you started to say it. >> you did. >> al, did you know that was happening? you didn't even flinch. >> i could see it. >> you saw him coming? >> by the way, that's a producer named josh. take off your mask. take off your mask. we're going to find you on the streets of new york. i'm sending somebody after you. >> here's a question. here's a question. do you think -- one of my favorite christmas movies, "diehard." >> that is not a christmas movie. >> it takes place at christmas. >> no, no, no. >> come on. >> no. >> no. >> "home alone." >> "it's a wonderful life." >> there's so many others. >> we've got to go. i'm out of here. i'm going home for the holidays. >> go to the orange room #orangeroom, is "diehard a christmas movie? yes or no. >> the answer is no.

>> orange room, #orangeroom. all right. in the meantime while we compose jenna and sheinelle, let's look at the radar right now. wet weather coming into the southwest. we've got more snow coming into the upper great lakes and as you look at the temperatures, things warming up finally, that's good news. the eastern half of the country. plenty of sunshine in the pacific northwest. before we go to the local, can we see that video one more time? that is just spectacular. >> if there was a man with an ear piece on the side, i would have taken it out. >> she almost said it. >> she really did? almost the end of a career right there. >> i have great impulse control. >> good morning, i am meteorologist kari hall. a lot of sunshine and warming up, beautiful day in san francisco, we'll keep that

sunshine tomorrow as well. it is now 50 degrees in palo alto. 51 degrees in san jose in oakland. 42 degrees in santa rosa. low 60s for napa. 61 for concord and morgan hill. al high of 62 degrees. 57 in san francisco chlts. hen plan comes together. up next, get ready for a good laugh or another one because we've got the funniest viral videos of the year, next. (timer beeping) she needs our help! ♪ (tea kettle whistling) (sighing) hey mom, can i help? yeah, i'd love your help. (grunting) awww... (announcer vo) the real magic of the holidays

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and till 10 p.m. on christmas day. walgreens. at the corner of happy and healthy. kids, we know they do the darndest things so as we get ready to wrap up 2016, we thought it would be fun to take a look at some of the funniest virals that went viral and made us laugh out loud. >> here with our top picks is parenting contributor and host of mlb central on the mlb network, lauren. good morning. >> good morning. we're going to recap the year in viral videos. so often you're late to record something cute or sweet that your kids say. >> and these are courtesy of "america's funniest home videos." >> about three of them are. this first its girl wants her dad to know who the boss of the house is and the boss is not him. >> no, no, no, no. no, no. no, no. no, no.

no, no. >> okay. >> and then he goes on and on and keeps doing it and she runs right back in. >> she's the pint-sized music police. we know toddlers, they don't want to play with the toys, but they sure as heck don't want anyone else to play with them. >> i like his theory here. i'm going to wear her down. i'm going to wear her down. >> the next one is so cute, little aiden. this is where he can't find his goggles. >> he's a simple man and wants simple things. he just wants his goggles. darn it. >> say that again. >> i need my goggles. >> what do you need? >> i need my goggles? >> where are they? >> somewhere. >> aiden, do like this. open your hand and do that. what are you look for.

>> my goggles. >> where are they? >> i don't know. >> we've done that before with sunglasses. >> i've done it when i've been on the phone. i can't find my phone. i'm looking for my phone. >> yes. or you go as far to accuse someone else. you were the last person with my phone. al, you're going to like this next one, i think. if you've ever baited your child into saying something you want them to say. of course you have. >> what's a kitty do? >> meow. >> how about the dog. >> woof. >> what's a cow do. >> moo, moo, moo. >> what's mommy do? >> no, no, no, no. >>. >> what does daddy say, al? >> daddy goes yeah, daddy like. >> be nice to mommy. >> she had the finger. >> obviously she's modeling some behavior she sees. >> that was america's funniest

home videos as well as this next one. as parents we all hope our children use as much discretion as this little boy. take a look. >> what does that card say? >> you. >> what does the back say? i can't say that. >> as. >> i can't that big word. >> no. no, baby. that's not a -- that is not a cuss word. as. a-s. >> a-s. >> say as. >> i can't say that. >> so cute. >> that's very cute. >> some kids are like i'll say it. >> lauren, thank you so much. have a great holiday. >> you too. still ahead, no time to get to the mall? no problem. we've got gifts that you can order today that will arrive boy saturday and get shipped for free. free. by the way #orangeroom, is "dio. that's a wrap!

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♪i'm ... ==topvo== two people have diedd after a fiery head-on crash in solano county. an nbc bay area photographer captured this video moments i am sam brock, two people have died. that's the scene last night. our photographer captured that video moments after the crash. this happens a little bit after midnight east of interstate 80. a man driving ahead of the crash noticed what was going on and turned right back around. he said he tried to pull one of the victims to safety as both cars are burning. there are no updates at this point and survivors. two people did die. traffic are still closed right now in both directions. the oakland after math of the deadly warehouse fire.

an online petition is now started. calling for a halt in oakland. the petition requested an end to you will unsolicited. the petition gathered more than 10,000 signatures. coming up after this break, we'll have a look at your weather and traffic, be right back. weather toss to traffic

traffic good morning i am meteorologist kari hall, it is the first day of winter and the warmest day in the forecast. in san francisco expected to round up to 57 degrees. a lot of sunshine and again tomorrow more sun of a high of 55 degrees. rain moves in on friday with gusty winds and we take a break on christmas eve. for the in land areas, expect a high of 64 today. widespread rain throughout the

day on friday and cooler weather into next week. lets head over to mike for a look at our morning's commute. >> palo alto, the speed sensor is both slow. do we find any problem? no. look at that, any backup here? no, the meter lights turned off just before 9:00. that's a great holiday traffic. the afternoon commute starts to kick in midday. thank you very much, mike, we'll see you back in 30 minutes. now, back to the "today" show.

♪ >> with a big holiday weekend coming up, you're running out of time to get a last-minute gift but we're about to perform a christmas miracle. >> style expert cassie post is here with gifts that will arrive by the 24th and all of them have free shipping. >> all of them have free shipping. >> i don't believe that. >> i know. i'm doing my last-minute shopping from my couch this year and everybody else can too. >> let's get started. >> so we've got at details on everything here. first we have freepeople.com and they offer free shipping. if you order by tomorrow. >> oh, my gosh. >> at 11:59 p.m. so you've got some time. i love their glamorous gifts. these sequinned high-tops al. >> what size is this? >> it's probably a little small. >> but totally unisex.

this would work on you. they have a fanny back that also works as a portable speaker. >> we've got some fun faux fur earmuffs and have you seen a phone charm? >> i have not. >> and these gifts start at $18. >> sheinelle needs one of these. >> sheinelle needs this. >> i'll give this to her. >> all of these gifts from bloomingdale's.com. if you order by 12::00 noon it could be to you by christmas. this is a virtual reality phone case. so you can get your virtual reality almost anywhere. this is a solo radio. who listens to the radio at home anymore, right? >> me. >> see, you. this is perfect for you. then we've got a little stuffed animal that actually gives back. proceeds go to the child mine institute.

>> i love this. feel it. >> isn't that fun? >> is that cashmere? >> maybe not. >> well, it feels -- you know what, it feels like it. >> and then the candles? >> kamcandles and then the grea beaded tassel. >> where do you these? >> these are also bloomingdale's. >> so next up we've got amazon. free two-day ship. >> this is adam miller's daughter, ellie. it's her tv debut and there she goes. >> ellie! yay! >> run away from television, ellie. >>s as fast as you can. >> oh, ellie, you look so gorgeous, doesn't she? >> i like this little tepee. >> this is perfect for pepper, i think, al. totally needs it. this is a retro vw van play tent. >> where is this from? >> two-day ship for prime members. >> where are the cookies? >> from mrs. field's. >> what about these amazing --

ellie is wearing these little flush slippers. >> those are so much fun. >> let's go to ellie's slippers. see them on ellie. ellie, you're the best model. >> so cute. guess what, you can get them. they fit the only family. >> don't forget our pets. >> this is my draper james, jenna's buddy, reese witherspoon. they're offering free shipping if you offer by tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. >> she's just like adam. >> can you believe it? >> mama! >> mama. scotch and soda, how cute is that? >> and these are gifts for dog lovers and your dog. we've got cute leashes and collars and fancy play balls. >> let's move along. >> next up, we have bensgarden.com. this is something you have to order today by 2:00 p.m. e.t., you can get some of this is amazing decopage trays. love you to the moon and back.

>> mother-in-law table. >> and last but not least. >> oh, boy, pillows. >> al loves pillows. >> but there's even more. this is from allmodern.com. they have free two-day shipping on select items. >> i'm going to get al a pillow for christmas. >> really quick. >> we don't have time. >> it's on the internet, never mind. don't pay any attention to this. if you want more ideas online for stuff that ships for free, she'll stream live on our today's take facebook page. check it out and -- >> by the way, there's some popcorn. >> it's the new movie being directed by and starring denzel washington. "fences." we'll catch up with two of the stars right after these messages. >> ellie! maybe you don't need your a-game today. you can bring your b-game instead. you're just subbing for mrs. tindall's fifth-grade class. good morning, everybody. start with world history...

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this scene will never make the cut. 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.

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with ingredients like roasted hazelnuts and cocoa, nutella adds a smile to any morning. one jar; so many delicious possibilities. nutella - spread the happy! the new film "fences" based on the play tells the story of the maxon family. >> russell hornsby plays lions and denzel washington plays gabriel. gabriel hasn't been the same. >> hey, that's troy's boy. how you doing, uncle gabe. >> the king of the jungle. rose, hey, rose, i got a flower for you. i picked it myself. that's the same rose like you is. >> that's great. nice of you, gabe.

>> what you been doing, uncle gabe? >> oh, i've been chasing and waiting for the time to tell st. peter to open the gates. >> you chasing hell hounds, huh? well, you're doing the right thing, uncle gabe. somebody has got to chase them. >> good morning, guys. this was an incredible film. tell us a little bit about what it was like playing these characters? >> it was just an honor. it was an honor to revisit the characters, to work again on august wilson but also to bring the family back together. we worked on broadway in 2010 and it felt like coming back home. >> i was so blessed to be able to to see that on broadway. how difficult was it making the transition from a one-stage set to something that's a little more cinematic? >> well, the beauty of the difference is on stage, the audience can focus anywhere but on cinema the director and actors will focus you where you need to be, so it was a higher

level of responsibility to focus and pull them along the journey. >> you play one of the sons and, you know, troy, denzel, was a tough father, tough love. you're a budding musician. talk to me about that dynamic and you can jump in with your role. you had a brain injury. but you can't underestimate your character because in the end i feel like it was your character that gave me my aha at the end. i don't want to give it away. >> as you said, my character is a budding musician, but i think more importantly, he was really looking for love. he was coming by the maxon family every week to try to make a connection with his father, troy. trying to find some way to have a semblance of family in his life. >> and the gabriel character is an injured person. he has a traumatic brain injury so's not completely at himself, you don't think. you think he's unaware of what's going on around him but you find out he's the most elevated character there is. he's actually troy's caretaker,

equally as troy is his caretaker. >> this was directed by denzel. you got to work with him. what's he like as a director and fellow actor? >> denzel is amazing. you know, russell can tell you firsthand there's nobody quite like denzel. he's elevated in his humanity and his art is unsurpassed by anyone. >> working with him is seamless. it was really a lesson in truth telling and simplicity. we really felt honored to just -- he asked us to stand with him, stand by him, don't be in awe of him. he wanted to bring the best actors aboard to stand with him and tell this story. >> right. he hand picked all of us himself. >> wow. >> which is an honor, because this represents the next page, the next chapter in denzel's life, which is the giving back chapter. so he's all about that, all of his life's journey, but now this is really special to him. >> russell, speaking of journeys, this is your last season of "grimm" on nbc.

what's that like bringing that to a close? >> bittersweet. it's been a wonderful journey, six seasons on nbc. it's been a lot of fun. i have a new family. but, you know, it's one of those things where now it's time to move on and it's time to say good-bye. >> well, we don't want to say good-bye to these characters in "fences." mykelti, russell, thank you. "fences" hits theaters on christmas day. let's take a quick check of your weather. speaking of christmas day, for friday mild along the eastern seaboard, looking for mountain snows in the pacific northwest. heavy rain central california. wet weather in the mississippi river valley. on christmas eve, saturday, unseasonably mild with snow in northern new england. rockies snow, and it will continue into christmas day. the eastern half of the country unseasonably mild. sunshine through the southwest, looking at showers into the mid-mississippi river valley

good morning, i am meteorologist kari hall. we got a lot of sunshine, it is the first day of winter with temperatures feeling much milder. it is 51 degrees in the tri-valley and 55 in the paens l peninsula. san francisco at 50 degrees. cooler at the north bay, it is 42. low 60s for the dry valley and peninsula and the south bay. san francisco a high of 57 degrees and breezy winds. tomorrow is a day like today. ou gu "diehard" a christmas movie or not? >> if you want it to be, yeah. >> no, no, no. >> just ahead, holiday movie tribute. which of these actors never played santa claus in a movie? think about it. think about it. we've got technology is useful. think about it. we've got i just bought a book. and while i was telling you about the book, i downloaded a song. oh, and full disclosure, when we were just chatting about that song thing, someone arranged a date.

guilty. the point is, life is digital. so, carmax, created a site where you can reserve a car online. come in when it's convenient, your car will be waiting. just another thing to make buying a car better for you... reads this tweet that i just posted. oh, that appears to be trending. lol. come on r2! we gotta go! ♪ woohoo! the best place in the galaxy for everything star wars. walmart. pain from a headache can when make this...old, feel like this. all-in-one cold symptom relief from tylenol®, the #1 doctor recommended pain relief brand. tylenol® what aremaking a cake!ht now? 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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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. some like action, some like horror. >> to get in the holiday spirit, we're going to have some fun with ho ho movie trivia. >> happy haum days, guys. >> we're so excited. >> i'm going to jump right into it. are you ready? >> what do we do? >> push the buzzer. >> what do we get if we win? >> i don't know. we'll find out. recognition. name the classic holiday movie from this screen grab.

ready? >> "home alone." >> are you kidding? "a christmas story." >> thank you. there you go, jenna got it. here's the plot line for a christmas classic. you name the movie. two women troubled with guy problems swap homes in each other's countries where they each meet -- jenna. >> "the holiday." >> oh, my gosh. >> i'm telling you, this is my game. >> this is an audio question. >> she is very confident. >> we're going to play a short clip from a christmas classic and you name it. ready? >> put that cookie down, now! >> wow. >> it's arnold schwarzenegger and it is -- it's not? >> "jingle all the way." >> al got it. >> you're not supposed to give it away with your face. >> i didn't say anything. >> it is arnold schwarzenegger. >> yes, but that's not the name of the movie. >> it's not called it's arnold

schwarzenegger. >> we knew you had the idea. >> which of the following actors never played santa claus? tim allen, bill murray, billy bob thornton or tom hanks. >> tom hanks. >> b, bill murray. >> this woman is on fire. on fire! can the rest of you all play? >> i'm trying. >> this is not fair. >> kate is about to come in in a holiday themed sweater. >> "home alone." >> she's on fire. >> this isn't a competition. ready? name the beloved christmas flick where the five siblings that reunite our amy, thad, susannah, ben and everett. >> say that again. >> name the beloved christmas flick where the five siblings that reunite are --

>> "the family stone." >> no way! >> yes! >> oh, my god! >> i never saw that movie. >> i almost said "little women." >> name the holiday classic that features this song. play this song. ♪ i feel it in my fingers >> "love actually." >> no! >> this is crazy, jenna. >> jenna is on fire. al, wake up! al, wake up! roker! >> i've got nothing. >> i only know "home alone." >> this is the last question. i don't know if i should do this but i will. audio question. name the movie that gave us the following quote. >> every time a bell rings -- >> okay, finally, geez. "it's a wonderful life." something from my generation. >> jenna. >> thank you all so much. >> you're obviously the champion. >> there you go.

>> i've actually never gotten a trophy before. >> now i'm not so sorry i lost. a.j., thank you so much. merry christmas. say hi to everybody at extra! >> is there anybody else at extra! ? >> yes. >> mario lopez. >> there's a lot of people there at extra! >> just joking. we love mario. we're back in a moment but first this is "today" on nbc.

only a few more days until christmas and that means there are only a few days left of our holiday toy drive. earlier we had viola davis collecting toys. here with us now the president and ceo of kinex toys. you guys have always been so great to us for our toy drive for a lot of years. >> almost a dozen years now. >> that's so terrific. obviously you're stepping up again. >> we are.

3 in 1 classic amusement park, another 5,000 or 6,000 toys to kids all over the country. it's important to do this time of year. not every kid has a present under the tree. we want to make sure we provide some. >> and the great thing about these, it's not -- you're active. and the family can do it together. >> use your imagination. there's a lot of talk about the science, technology, engineering and math. these you can use your imagination at the same time. >> you do a lot of outreach all year, not just at christmas. >> we support a variety of charities all throughout the year. we're lucky, we're in the toy business. it can't be much better than that. >> you get to play santa all day long. michael, thank you so much. merry christmas, happy holidays. you can help make this holiday season for children in need special. come down to the plaza, wring a toy for a child up to age 18 or donate online at amazon.com/today and check out the website for all the details. >> y'all, this was fun today.

minus one thing. up next, kathie lee -- >> but before we do that. let's take a look at our orange room poll. >> what do they say? >> 44% say yes, "die hard" is a christmas movie. 56% say no. >> are you surprised? >> i'm not. because we were leading earlier. but now it seems the tide has turned. >> i disagree. but up next, kathie lee and hoda, guess who they're with? arnold schwarzenegger. >> nice. and the artist of the month after your local news. >> that's right. get to the chopper! >> have a good day, everybody! trt: 32

=trx at ck= you are looking at a lot of sunshine across the bay area today and warmer temperatures in the peninsula, expect a high of 61 degrees. 62 in the tri-valley, lower 60s and warmer air with mainly sunny skies in the east bay.

59 degrees will be the high and 57 in san francisco in the north bay. over the next couple of days, our weather staying dry until friday. we'll be tracking our next storm system and we'll keep tabs on that. lets get over to mike now with an update with the morning commute. i am tracking anything. over here, looking like a good easy traffic slide. i want to show you the south bay. 280 approaching wolf. i didn't look it up. i found there is one lane scheduled for closure. that's a slow drive. that's the only problem for r the south bay. 880 past oakland and no problem, chris. back to you. that looks like december lights. happening now, oakland artists are angry of the deadly goes ship warehouse fire are trying to deliver a message at city hall. today our pete is there, he will

have a live report in our midday newscast. you can watch updates on our twitter feed. a missing former reality tv show contestant is found dead. the man she was last seen with is under arrest, you can find the story on our home page.

>> announcer: from nbc news, . from nbc news this is "today" with cathy lee gifford and hoda live from studio 1a in rock fella plaza. all right. hello everybody and welcome to hump day wednesday december 21st. it's actually officially the first day of o winter. >> yeah, it feels like it's here. >> blake shelton came with it. >> we have a terrific show today. he said that he would be back, and he is. arnold is going to be in your living rooms