vieira will return to the "today" show as savannah gaugtry is on maternity leave. we'll be back in half an hour. >> see you then. good morning. breaking news. police in riot gear carrying out raids in germany overnight, officials desperate to find a tunisian man named as a suspect in that truck attack on a christmas market. the 24-year-old known to authorities before the massacre. so how did he elude the poli? christmas blizzard. heavy snow and ice set to make a mess of the holiday weekend for millions. this morning the storm's potential impact on your travel plans. feeling better? a helicopter takes queen elizabeth and her 95-year-old

husband prince philip to their holiday. and burst of flames. an ecigarette explodes in the pocket of a california man riding a bus. once again calling the safety of those devices into question "today," thursday, december 22nd, 2016. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. and good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a thursday morning. i'm matt lauer, alongside hoda kotb here while savannah continues on maternity leave. if i were an ecigarette user, i might be considering a new year's resolution. >> no kidding. those are the ones that are caught on tape. we were talking about how many happened that have not been captured on tape. >> we'll tell you more about the circumstances surrounding that a little later in the show. but breaking news, overnight raids tied to the international manhunt for a suspect in that truck attack in berlin.

nbc's anne thompson has been covering this story. anne, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. german authorities find themselves playing offense and defense this morning, aggressively pursuing the suspect while explaining how he eluded their grasp after they identified him as a potential threat earlier this year. he is the most wanted man in europe. 24 years old, now the focus of a manhunt for the murderous attack on a christmas market in berlin. german police executing raids in berlin and across the country looking for him. his papers found in the cab of the semi truck that barreled through this holiday spot at 40 miles per hour killing 12 people. amri is a tunisian national and reportedly of italy as well. described as armed and dangerous, amri is well known to german authorities.

after arriving in germany in july 2015, amri was put under surveillance for six months, suspected of plotting an attack. this past august he was arrested on suspicion of having fake documents but was later released. he applied for asylum, but was rejected. his deportation set for july did not happen because he did not have a valid tunisian passport. all of this adding to the controversy here over chancellor angela merkel's policy allowing almost 1 million refugees into germany. this morning, under increased security, the christmas market reopened. >> did you worry here about coming here today? >> not too much. because life must going on. >> i'm a little worried. >> reporter: now surrounded by concrete blocks, memorials filled with candles and flowers stand next to stalls selling gifts and sausages. prayers for the victims offered at the neighboring church. as berliners begin their holiday celebrations under a cloud of

suspicion and fear. more than one person today told me that life must go on to help catch amri. the german authorities are offering a reward of up to 100,000 euros. matt and hoda? >> anne thompson in berlin for us. thanks so much. president-elect trump weighed in on the attack in berlin after meeting with executives from the nation's largest defense contractors. boeing and lockheed martin. nbc's kristen welker has more on that story. kristen, good morning. >> reporter: hoda, good morning to you. a senior transition official tells me president-elect donald trump's day is again stacked with meetings and it comes after that rare and quick press availability that he held yesterday. he covered a range of topics and even raised a few eyebrows. president-elect donald trump trying to show he's hard at work even at mar-a-lago. meeting wednesday with the heads of two major defense contractors, lockheed martin and boeing. trump previously threatened to cancel boeing's order for two

new air force one planes claiming it would cost more than $4 billion. after the meeting, boeing's ceo now says -- >> we're going to get it done for less than that. >> reporter: trump also called the cost of lockheed martin's f-35 fighter jet out of control. he insists that price will also come down. >> it is a dance. you know? it is a little bit of a dance. but we're going to get the costs down and we're going to get it done beautifully. >> reporter: earlier mr. trump taking a tough tone on the terror attacks in europe after emerging from a series of national security meetings. >> that's an attack on humanity. that's what it is. it is an attack on humanity and it's got to be stopped. >> reporter: mr. trump also revisiting his controversial campaign promise. >> a total and complete shutdown of muslims entering the united states until our country's representatives can figure out what the hell is going on. >> reporter: seeming to insist he now stands by that proposed ban and a possible muslim registry, plans his own advisors

have tried to walk back. >> you've known my plans all along. i've proven to be right. 100% correct. >> reporter: after it was confirmed more americans voted for hillary clinton than any other losing candidate in u.s. history, she tops mr. trump by nearly 3 million in the popular vote. trump tweeting, i would have done even better in the election if that is possible if the winner was based on popular vote but would campaign differently. just moments ago, mr. trump announced he is appointing kellyanne conway as counselor to the president. she is, of course, the campaign manager who helped him win. she's been a frequent presence on television shows and she's indicated that she plans to move her family from new jersey to washington, d.c. matt? hoda? >> all right, kristen welker, thanks so much. also this morning, the death toll is expected to rise even higher from that massive explosion at a fireworks market that was near mexico city. two days later crews are still searching for people who are

missing and they're searching for a cause of that blast. nbc's kerry sanders is at one of the hospitals where victims are being treated. kerry, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, matt. so many people were injured in the explosions that the ambulances took them to various hospitals. this morning there are 53 people who remain hospitalized. doctors say five of those victims are still clinging to life. this morning, the smell of gun powder and smoke still hang in the air. dogs brought in to search through the debris helping with the grim task of looking for more bodies. some of the most severely burned are children. like 13-year-old juan carlos with burns over 35% of his body. he was flown 700 miles to the shriner's hospital burn unit in galveston, texas, for special care. the massive scope of this disaster is even more evident from above. this video from a drone showing a moon scape over an area the

size of four football fields. just three days ago the bustling fireworks market, the biggest in mexico, looked similar to this. authorities now say at least a dozen people are unaccounted for. among them, 8-year-old oscar, 15-year-old juan antonio and 15-year-old juanmala. this man is clinging to hope. >> translator: have the hope and have the most we can do, hold on to hope. >> reporter: when asked who does he blame, this man says -- it's as if a plane fell from the sky or a factory blew up. it's exactly the same. it's an accident. but this morning, the focus remains on finding the missing. devastated family members anxiously waiting for news, even if they find out it's their loved ones that have died. matt? >> kerry sanders, thanks. a lot of people still wondering whether they are even going to

attempt to rebuild that market in the future. all right. there is a lot of finger pointing going on in north carolina this morning after a special session of the legislature failed to repeal the state's controversial so-called bathroom bill. critics left the special session chanting "shame, shame, shame." the law's best-known provision requires transgender people to use restrooms in public buildings according to the sex on their birth certificates. opponents like the state's incoming democratic governor, call it discriminatory. >> i'm disappointed that we have yet to remove this stain on the reputation of our great state that is around this country and around the world. >> it is not a hate bill. it is protecting women and children. >> the republican-controlled legislature has been under pressure from gay rights groups and business leaders to repeal the law because of lost jobs and canceled sporting and entertainment events. now to georgia where officials have released body cam video of the moments leading up

to a deadly shooting that occurred a little earlier this month. america's police officer nicholas smar and georgia southwestern state university officer jody smith were responding to a domestic dispute when a man inside the apartment ran out the back door. the officers took off after him yelling for him to stop, and that is when the suspect turned, opened fire, and then the video ends abruptly. both officers died. the suspect was found dead the next day from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. the cause of actor alan thicke's death has been confirmed. best known for his role as the dad in the '80s sitcom "growing pains," thicke died of a ruptured aorta, according to his death certificate. it was released wednesday, two days after his funeral. he was playing hockey with his youngest son at a rink in burbank, california, last week when he complained of chest pains. he died a few minutes after being taken by ambulance to a hospital. he was 69 years old.

uber has parked its self-driving cars in san francisco. the ride-sharing company has lock in a dispute with state regulators over permit issues. on wednesday the dmv moved to revoke the vehicle's registration. now uber has been arguing that it doesn't need an autonomous car permit like other self-driving car tests because a driver sits in the vehicles at all times ready to take control. according to the dmv in san francisco, that's not good enough. now to that video we showed you at the top of the show of an ecigarette exploding in a man's pocket while he rode a bus in california. nbc's gadi schwartz has more. >> reporter: good morning. from the looks of this video, there was very little warning. the ecigarette sparking into what looked like a firework that the man in this video could not escape. >> reporter: two people talking on the bus. the one on right has an ecigarette in his pocket that is about to explode. in slow motion, you can see the ecigarette shooting out flames so intense, it burns right

through his pants. the man taken to a fresno, california hospital to be treated for burns. earlier this week investigators in england releasing similar video, an ecigarette exploding near a baby stroller at a store. since 2009, there have been nearly 100 cases of exploding ecigarettes in the u.s. experts say in many of these incidents the ecigarettes shoot flames like a small rocket when the lithium ion battery that powers them overheats exploding through a metal case. accidents have reportedly sent dozens of people to hospitals suffering with second and third degree burns. ecigarette retailers say many of the explosions are caused by modifications to vaping devices and the incorrect usage of lithium ion batteries. >> i always tell people make sure you research and know what you're doing when you get into this because it can be dangerous. >> reporter: it is this same kind of battery linked to recalls in exploding hoverboards earlier this year. now new york senator chuck schumer is saying a recall of

certain ecigarette parts should be considered. >> ecigarettes have become ticking time bombs. when we see several car accidents that might lead to trouble, we see recalls. why not ecigarettes? >> reporter: earlier this year, the american vaping association told nbc news when charged and used under proper conditions, vapor products cause no more problems that use lithium ion batteries like cell phones and laptops. cases are still being reviewed of the explosions. this morning in a just released statement, the tobacco vapor electronic association calls these incidents 100% avoidable, saying it appears to be the battery that charges the ecigarette adding these are high-powered rechargeable batteries that when not stored properly could cause harm. this is most likely due to the individual having other metal objects like small change and keys in their pockets.

obviously something to consider going into this travel weekend. hoda, matt? >> all right, gadi. thanks. let's take a look at some shocking dash cam video now from minnesota. it shows a walmart truck swerving all over the road last july as the police tried to pull the driver over. when he finally stopped the truck, couldn't even get out of the cab without falling to the ground. then he couldn't stand up. police say his blood alcohol level was more than three times the legal limit. inside that truck, they found two large bottles of vodka, one of them opened. driver was charged with two counts of driving while intoxicated and the third party trucking company that hired him has informed walmart he has been fired. >> thank god no one got hurt. wow. dave price is in for mr. al roker on this thursday. >> hi, guys. we couldn't get through this week without some weather trouble. this is the next storm brewing at this point. you can see, there is a cold front right there and an area of low pressure is going to develop around it.

as that happens it is going to bring some heavy rains to sections of seattle and portland, san francisco and l.a. that's where we could see some travel delays today. keep in mind we could see some mountain snow in the sierra, cascades and the olympics. sections of the western u.s. as the system continues to advance eastward as we head to christmas eve day, the problems move to phoenix and salt lake city. phoenix for rain and salt lake for snow. snow moves into the rockies and the great basin. now keep in mind, watch billings to bismarck. we're going to advance the motion of the maps right here. this is where we are concerned for some very heavy snow as we head into sunday. blizzard conditions for the high plains, travel delays in minneapolis and kansas city. and in chicago. and rain as we head to the south. we're keeping an eye on all of that. it is going to be a very busy few days weather wise as we watch this system work its way across the united states. as far as what we can all expect today, unseasonably mild from the gulf states through florida.

we could see snow showers stretching through sections of the capital district in new york, up through new england and very, very mild right now in the northern plains and up by the canadian border. that's a quick look at our national maps. we'll have your local forecast in just about 30 seconds. getting the gift you almost kept for yourself? now that's a holiday mini miracle. and it's easy to create your own at walgreens... with most stores open till midnight, and till 10 p.m. on christmas day. walgreens. at the corner of happy and healthy. good thursday morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall, looking now at some of those temperatures below freezing in the north bay. we have icy spots there, also the possibility of freezing fog. it's now 38 degrees in

livermore, 35 in morgan hill and some lower 40s from oakland down to san jose and san francisco. into this afternoon, it will be another nice one with some sunshine, highs reaching near 60 degrees and rain moving in tomorrow. >> can't wait, dave. what we are now learning about the health scare that caused queen elizabeth and her husband to delay christmas plans at buckingham palace. and how stepped up security for the president-elect is affecting stores inside trump tower. first, this is "today" on nbc.

coming up, emmy award winning actor jim parsons will be here to talk about his latest genius role and the future of his hit sitcom. and the year in review. the historic events and people

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==topvo== new this morning: a very good morning to you. it is 7:26. i'm laura garcia-cannon. new this morning, an unusual arrest in san francisco. the suspect wound up on the roof of a day-care center. san francisco police say it started about 4:00 a.m. when they found a van and ran the plates and found the owner was wanted for felony parole violation. at about the same time a homeowner reported a break-in attempt. officers found him on the roof of the preschool. police have not indicated why he violated parole or the new charges he may be facing. go get your errands run today. it's going to rain tomorrow. >> the rain moves in tomorrow. beautiful start to this day. but we do still have that unhealthy air quality for the

north bay. that's the reason why we do have these pink sunrises and sunsets across the bay area. right now it's still fairly chilly. only 46 degrees heading up to 59. today some highs in the low 60s. once again we've been talking about the storm system that will be moving in that they impact your holiday travel anywhere from i-5 will be wet and windy heading to the sierra. it will be whiteout conditions. 101 to l.a., it will be rainy but it clears by christmas eve. >> light traffic. green all over the bay. the bay bridge metering lights are on. the backup just there on the right approach in the fast track lanes. two crashes southbound 880. that's what's on the grid, causing slowing toward the coliseum. a live camera shows we have these two scenes on the top of the screen. that's the spectator slowing we still see. just be careful.

back to you. >> thank you very much. i'll be back with another local news update in half an hour.

7:30 now on this thursday morning, the 22nd day of december, 2016. we love that tree. we love these people down on our plaza as well. we're going to go outside in just a little while, say hi to them on a chilly morning, but not too bad. back inside studio 1a, let's get right to a check of today's headlines. and international manhunt is under way for the tunisian man. overflight -- overnight, police carried out raids across the country, looking for the 24-year-old. at least 33 people have now died after powerful explosion at a fireworks market in mexico city.

officials are expecting the number unaccounted for to go higher. the cause of the blast still unknown but investigators believe that some safety measures were ignored adding to that tragedy. a scary situation in montana. a school bus carrying 35 kids rolled over last flight. police say the driver was being cautious going slow but the back wheel slipped into a snow-covered ditch. fortunately, no serious injuries reported. praeking -- breaking news out of buckingham palace this morning. queen elizabeth and prince philip were flown to thundershower country estate. they were supposed to leave for their annual christmas trip wednesday but delayed if because of heavy colds, according to the palace. lucy cavanaugh is live for us at buckingham palace. >> reporter: when you're the oldest and longest reigning monarch in the world, it's no surprise that a cold is enough to cause a royal scare. in britain today on the front pages and on the streets, an outpouring of concern for the

queen and her husband. a place steeped in timeless tradition, but behind wallace -- palace doors, change is in the air. for years, the queen and her husband, the duke of edinboro, have taken the train to their country estate where the royal family always celebrates christmas. but this year, the annual ip delayed. the queen and duke coming down with heavy colds and britain is on edge. >> i think we should always be concerned when people who are in their 90s fall ill. obviously the concern at buckingham palace's case is they didn't want this heavy cold to turn into some more sinister, like pneumonia. >> reporter: instead, a helicopter arriving at buckingham palace, whisking the royal couple directly to their home just in time for the holidays. at 95, the duke has had his share of health scares, in and out of emergency rooms several

times, but still going strong. with more than 350 royal events a year, queen elizabeth may have opened more hospitals than been a patient at them. but the 90-year-old monarch is lightening her load. this week, handing responsibility for 25 charities to prince charles and the younger royals, though still overseeing some 600 others. the extended family together this week for their annual christmas lunch at the palace, harry, will, kate, and little george seen arriving here. but the big question today, how many will make it to sandringham? the duke and duchess of cambridge taking their little ones to their in-laws this holiday. prince harry will be there, his girlfriend will not. the queen's popularity sky high despite tweaks in tradition. her life story proving massively appealing in the new netflix

series "the crown." but also -- >> she provides that steadying constant figure, which is why when she becomes ill or suddenly the plans change, people do start to get worried. >> reporter: as that chopper was taking off, the royal standard was lowered. that flag replaced with a union jack, meaning the queen had left the residence. the palace confirming the royal couple was on their way to their private country estate. we know how important this christmas tradition is to the queen. it appears their health has improved enough to travel and spend the holidays with anatomy. matt? >> lucy, thank you very much. victoria arbitter has covered the royal family for years. good morning. it was front page news in the uk. one of the reasons is because the queen operates on a schedule that's like clockwork. >> it absolutely is. the royal calendar is regimented

and inflexible. aside from that, the queen is a stickler for her routine. so yesterday when she didn't take the 10:44 train from kings cross, suddenly everyone had cause for alarm. and the fact that buckingham palace didn't give us any information for three hours meant that the skittishness levels were up. >> people get jittery. she's someone who, although in her 90s, has had good health over the years. you said she has the constitution of an ox. i'm glad those are your words, not mine. >> the last time i can remember her being slightly ill was on the day she became britain's longest reigning monarch, which was september 9th of last year. the only reason we knew is because she made a few remarks and you could hear her voice crackling. other than that, she's never poorly. she doesn't like to make a fuss. >> how would the queen feel about the fuss that's been made over what turns out to be a cold? >> i think she and philip might both be quite tickled by it. they like to see that everybody sort of is standing by.

oh, gosh, what if they die? i think we can't count them off just yet. there's a lot of life in them both. >> no, and again we have good news to report on this thursday morning. they're off on a christmas vacation, which is deserved and we're all happy both of them are feeling well. victoria, thank you. let's turn and get a check of the weather on this thursday morning. kind of a big storm heading through the country. we turn to dave price for the forecast. >> people here are keeping warm and carrying on. that is for sure. look at this growing area of warmth in the lower 48 right now. temperatures in washington today getting up to 55 degrees. that's 12 degrees above our normal high. chicago, 34. seems cold but that's four degrees warmer than normal. as we head into tomorrow, many people getting on the road. midland, texas, up to 62 degrees. that's up by six from where you should be typically. denver, 48 degrees. up by seven. then into this weekend we're

going to see high temperatures 15 to 30 degrees above normal in many portions of the united states. monday you're going to get up to 63 in atlanta, 82 in miami. how nice is that? and monday you'll see 54 degrees on the thermometer in amarillo. as we talk about the rest of the weather all across the country, keep in mind we're watching some stormy weather in the four corners where you may see some snow. heavy rains potentially for sections to the north and south of i-10 around yuma, arizona. good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. there's flooding rain across so cal toward vegas. if you're traveling in that direction, keep if mind it may be a slow go. that will not impact the bay area. we're waiting for this storm system to the north to roll in. one more dry day and then we'll start to see the clouds increasing later this evening. by tomorrow we'll sfart to see the rain moving in from north to south. it will impact the commute from the morning into the afternoon as well as the evening. expect it to rain off and on

through out the day. quick look at the weather picture. you can get a check on the forecast on weather channel on cable. folks. >> thank you, dave. up next -- is increased security for the president-elect around trump tower bankrupting nearby businesses? we'll talk about that. but first, these messages. achoo! snap achoo!

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streets and some small businesses in the area say they are paying the price. nbc's hallie jackson is there this morning. hey, hallie. >> reporter: hey there, hoda. good morning to you. you know that trump tower has become its own kind of tourist attraction. but look at what's right nearby. you have a big police presence. that's a security checkpoint. then barricades like this one blocking not just the sidewalk, but the street behind me, too. that's where those business owners say tourism here simply isn't translating to them. towering over fifth avenue, home base for the president-elect. plenty of people checking it out. and plenty of protection keeping it safe. all of it coming with a cost for some local businesses. >> it's a disaster. for these little shops, little restaurants, it's a disaster. >> just look at carlos' salon. hardly any foot traffic outside, with even some regulars staying away. >> a lot of my clients that are loyal, they're here. they're not tourists.

don't come, say too hard to go there. >> reporter: business is down 45% from last year. she and others blame the barricades blocking public traffic. the heaven police presence. the nearby command post. all of it making it trickier to get around an already-congested area. >> i cannot survive it that doesn't change. i cannot do this. >> reporter: traffic headaches part of what it takes to protect the president-elect. an estimated cost of $750,000 a day. the cost to some businesses near trump tower -- big bucks. derek walsh owns the bar judge roy bean. >> i don't see tourists wanting to walk by the bomb squad and the command post and the 30 heavily armed police officers and the barricades. would you want to walk down that street? >> reporter: it is not just high-profile places like tiffany's predicting a bit of a sales slowdown at its flagship store due to election-related activity. plenty of smaller spots are

struggling. dozens signing a petition in protest, like carlos roman. >> we have sweet plantains here. >> reporter: his cuban deli is just around the corner from trump tower. >> because business is dropping, all my employees have been cut hours. i feel bad for them but it is nothing we can do. >> you would think trump tower is kind of a tourist attraction for some folks though. you would think with so much foot traffic you would get more folks popping in. >> we have some kind of tourists walking in but it is very difficult to find this spot once the street is closed. >> reporter: the strayed-off -- he is getting another kind of customer. police patrolling nearby. the secret service tells nbc it works to plan in advance and evaluate the impact of its operations, adding, it makes every effort to minimize disruptions to businesses and the community while simultaneously maintaining the highest level of security for the individuals we are mandated to protect and the general public. less than a month until

inauguration day and a move to the white house for donald trump, many in midtown hope 2017 brings better business. until then, bracing begrudgingly for more red ink. remember, even after the inauguration, the building of course stays here and so do melania trump and son, barron. at least through the end of the school year. that means that there will still be protection here in 2017 and beyond. that presence, by the way, isn't just on the ground. it is also in the air. remember last week when those military helicopters and that plane was circling midtown? turns out law enforcement sources are now telling wnbc that was part of an evacuation drill in order to see where those choppers could land and how long it two take to get president-elect trump out in case of some type of emergency. >> hallie jackson, thanks for that. coming up next, we'll talk about the envy of their neighborhoods. carson will show off some remarkable holiday light displa i love you so much.

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there are people who decorate for the holidays, then there are people who "decorate" for the holidays. >> with christmas just three days away, we've seen some pretty spectacular displays. look at that. has anybody here been to that guy's in brooklyn? this neighborhood apparently goes all out. it is very well known. thanks for that photo. this is in england somewhere underneath all these lights is a house. residents of kadee, texas. this is in illinois. a resident is playing tribute to the late, great prince. the light show is synchronized to the hit song "kiss." now that is pretty cool.

if you haven't decked out your house like that, you still have three days to pull out your ladder, pull a clark griswald. get on the tonight, staple some lights up there. last night we watched "national lampoon's christmas vacation." it is so funny. this movie came out in like '89. it is hilarious. be careful if you light up your house like clark there, you'll suck up the energy of the entire town. >> do you consider "diehard" a christmas movie? >> definitely. >> i'm with you, carson, "a christmas vacation," one of the best over. up next, we'll look at some biggest stories of 2016. but first your local news. ...one store is the store... to get your romantic on. kay jewelers. right now, save up to 30%

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good morning. i'm meteorologist are kari hall. a lot of sunshine across the bay area. it is chilly. below freezing in parts of the north bay, also some patchy fog. that could create icy spots on those bridges and overpasses. watch out for that. 38 in livermore, loer 40s for oakland, san jose and san francisco. highs today reaching near 60 degrees. another day pretty much like yesterday. it will be comfortable, but as we go into the day tomorrow, tracking two weather systems across the region. this may affect your travel across southern california. there will be another one that will be bringing rain into parts of the bay area by tomorrow, along with heavy downpours, we could have gusty winds and sierra know snow. let's head to mike for an update on the roadways. >> for folks going to so cal, 101 connecting to i-5, uses 152

through pa chak co-pass. a poll down with wire downs around ferguson. there's one-day traffic control. that will delay your drive, again, over toward i-5. the rest of the bay, no delays there. we have residual slowing in downtown oakland for 880. the crash clears around 66. perhaps a chance in the north bay, but not causing slowing. this is how light the traffic is. they turn the metering lights off. not even 8:00 yet. >> no kidding. holiday light certainly there. thank you very much, mike. happening now, a measure to roll back rents in mountain view may be stopped in its tracks. on our home page, the protest tenants rights groups are planning today. the driver of a jaguar slams into an east bay thrift store. when authorities show up, no one is there. on the facebook page, the images. . brad pitt breaks his silence in his custody suit with angelina

jolie. the concern he's raising in a southern california courtroom.

it's 8:00 "today." coming up, unpredictable and unforgettable. >> it is time for us to come together as one united people. >> from politics to pop culture, violence to victory. >> a gold medal in the final olympic race of his career! >> we look back at the people and events that shaped our lives in 2016. >> and love is love is love. it cannot be killed or swept aside. and big bang to the big screen. >> it requires the highest clearance. >> emmy award winning actor jim parsons swings by studio 1a to talk about his latest genius role and what's next for his hit

sitcom, "today," december 22nd, 2016. hi to grandma and all our friends and family in alabama! >> merry christmas from new york city! >> hello, san antonio. happy holidays! ♪ >> we came all the way from fargo, north dakota to see the "today" show. >> celebrating sweet 16. >> celebrating on "today." woo! we're back now, 8:00 on a thursday morning. it is the 22nd day of december, 2016. actually, pretty nice out here. lovely. >> feels good! hi, guys! >> on this thursday morning -- by the way, if you can hear through the yelling for a second, there is some music

playing. that is carson's holiday song, "christmas in hollis." >> run dmc! love it! >> you guys, we have some news happening. i want all you guys to be aware of this. this is big. we are going to be celebrating some big things in 2017. first up, you know what? it is matt's 20th year as a host. [ cheers and applause ]. >> 20. >> i know what you're saying. thank you. i know you're saying it can't be true because he looks so young. >> tell us about the olden days, papa. >> as you know, savannah is enjoying maternity leave. for the week of january 2nd, do you know who matt is going to be co-hosting with? it is a throwback. guess who matt's going to co-host with? i don't know. i will tell you -- it is katie couric is coming back. >> katie's returning to studio

1a for the first time since she left the show in 2006. she's been here as a guest. how do you feel about that? >> it is going to be fun. it will be a real walk down memory lane. we'll be counting down to the 65th anniversary of the "today" show. we'll get some help from another great guest -- >> who? >> meredith vieira. >> our friend are returning to studio 1a. >> this is crazy. >> we have a lot to look forward to at the start of 2017. but right now it is time for today's headlines. let's go to the "news at 8." >> reporter: even with 100,000 euro reward, the suspect in the christmas market attack remains at large this morning. i'm anne thompson in berlin where overnight heavily armored police raided apartments here and at locations throughout germany searching for 24-year-old amis amri.

his papers were found in the cab of the truck that. he quickly got on police radar. he was under surveillance identified as a potential threat. he came to this country with a criminal record in his home nation of tunisia. reportedly from italy, as well. he was scheduled to be deported this summer but that was held up because of paperwork issues. this morning the christmas market across the street has re-opened under increased security and surrounded by new concrete blocks. as berliners try to find some kind of holiday spirit. matt? >>en anne thompson, thank you very much. in other news, the death toll has risen to at least 33 in tuesday's devastating fireworks explosion in mexico. investigators still don't know what sparked that massive chain reaction blast. search teams are still looking

for more bodies in the rubble of the market. at least a dozen people remain unaccounted for. some of the burn victims have been brought to the united states for treatment. investigators suspect safety measures may have been ignored at the site. let's get a check of the weather from dave price who's in for al this morning. >> nice to see you guys. let's talk about moisture in different forms. first, we will head to the southwest. keep in mind as you head to places like blythe in southern california and yuma in arizona, got a little bit of moisture here and we could see some flooding this morning just north and south of i-10. we're watching that. now as we begin to see this storm push its way to the east, we will begin to see some mountain snow bringing probably some snow showers to sections of aspen. tropical moisture continues to advance but it loses its source of energy somewhat. we still do see some of it regenerating and beginning to push through sections of the

northeast. we could see some showers and snowflakes through the northern plains, into the northeast as we head through christmas day. good morning. temperatures still very chilly as you head out the door and we do have some below freezing temperatures for parts of the north bay. elsewhere low 40s in spots like palo alto and san jose. 42 in oakland. and in morgan hill 35 degrees. highs today reaching near 60 degrees. up to 59 in san francisco and livermore. 63 in concord and 63 also for santa cruz. all dry today but rain moving in tomorrow. >> that's a quick look at your weather picture. remember, you can find us every day on our sirius xm channel 108. >> good advice, dave. thank you. up next, as we get ready to ring in the new year, we're going to take a look at stories that impacted and touches our lives in 2016. then jim parsons will pay us

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from one of the most contentious elections in u.s. history, to the drama of the rio olympics, 2016 certainly has been quite the year to remember, hasn't it. >> it really has been. here is a look back at the moments that shaped your world as we reported them here on "today." ♪ >> the presidential race being dominated by the so-called stop trump movement. >> some of the things you've said about women and mexicans and muslims, you can't unsay those things. >> i've said some things in fun. i've said it as an entertainer. >> we're going to start winning again. >> have you ever caucused before? >> nope. >> but you will for trump this time? >> i will. >> we are suspended our campaign. >> donald trump is now the presumptive nominee and no one saw it coming. >> look at the victories that i had over 16 people, the senators

and governors. one by one, they've gone. >> you are asking the people of iowa here to start you off on nothing short of a political revolution. >> is that right? [ cheers ] >> i guess everybody is feeling the "bern" today. >> did you ever imagine this would be anything other than a finish line? >> i said from the very beginning this is going to be a ta tough contest all the way through. >> what a super tuesday! >> as clinton marches forward, sanders' path is growing increasingly narrow. >> for the first time in our nation's history that a woman will be a major party's nominee. >> the next -- >> vice president -- >> governor mike pence. >> senator tim kaine. ♪ >> did you practice it on the plane? >> i glanced once over it. that's all. because i wrote it and with a

little help as possible. >> we are talking about the speech that melania trump delivered to this convention last night. >> that your words -- >> that your word -- >> is your bond. >> and you do what you say. >> when they go low, we go high. >> donald trump, you have sacrificed nothing! >> i humbly. >> accept your nomination. >> for the presidency -- >> of the united states! >> clinton facing her own troubles this morning, more stolen e-mails. just released by wikileaks. >> the fbi is investigating whether russia is lined the hacks. >> do you think this drip, drip, drip is having an effect? >> yes. the polls are all over the place. >> crooked hillary clinton. she's as crooked as they come. >> for somebody who claims he's worth $10 billion, he ought to pay some federal income taxes. >> putin says very nice things about me. >> you could put half of trump

supporters in what i call the basket of deplorables. >> donald trump and hillary clinton go after each other in a spirited first debate. >> hillary has experience, but it's bad experience. she doesn't have the look. she doesn't have the stamina. >> i think donald just criticized me for preparing for this debate. and you know what else i prepared for? i prepared to be president. >> donald trump facing questions about the vulgar audio that's thrown his campaign into crisis. >> grab them by the [ bleep ]. >> this was locker room talk. >> it represents exactly who he is. >> it looks to me like a rigged -- >> a rigged system, folks. >> donald trump throwing yet another wrinkle into an already chaotic election. >> he's not sure he'll accept the result of the november votes. >> i will tell you at the time. i'll keep you in suspense. >> horrifying. >> such a nasty woman. >> the fbi set to begin searching through a reported 650,000 e-mails found on anthony weiner's laptop.

>> we never thought we were going to say thank you to anthony weiner. >> if they want to look at some more e-mails of one of my staffers, by all means, go ahead. >> hillary clinton's campaign now in full damage control mode after this october surprise that could upend the entire race. >> we will make america great again. >> love trumps hate! >> polls now open. voters casting their ballots after the most contentious and controversial presidential campaign in history. >> state after state turning the election map into a sea of red. >> ohio will go to donald trump. >> i think there's some real jitters setting in this clinton headquarters right now. >> he just blew through every single vote total that democrats had and, frankly, even republicans. >> the nation is waking up to a stunning upset. >> president-elect of the united states, donald trump. >> an astonishing victory and a massive repudiation of his

opponent, president obama, the washington establishment and the media. >> it is time for us to come together as one united people. >> this loss hurts. but please, never stop believing that fighting for what's right is worth it. >> we reject the president-elect! >> new protests erupting against donald trump in cities coast to coast. >> we're actually all on one team. we're not democrats first, we're not republicans first. we are americans first. that's how democracy works. ♪ >> terror in orlando. >> oh, my god. >> the pulse nightclub. that is where the worst mass shooting in u.s. history took place. >> no one can tell me where my son is. >> a community that is just in shock. it is almost too much to bear.

>> this was an act of terror. >> in a series of calls with police, mateen pledged his allegiance to isis. >> thousands come together to remember the 49 victims. >> and love is love is love! it cannot be killed or swept aside! >> five explosive devices discovered near a commuter train station in new jersey just a day after a device exploded here in new york city. >> everybody, get off of the street! >> people were scared out of their wits. >> the chilling attack that injured 11 people at ohio state university. >> the suspect plowed his car into a crowd, then attacked several people with a butcher knife. >> devastating warehouse fire in oakland, california. >> the deadliest fire in oakland's history. >> we all watched our home burn. >> 36 lives were lost in that building over the weekends. are you man who should be held accountable? >> no, i'm not going to answer these questions on this level! i would remember get on the floor and be trampled by the parents! >> deadly police-involved shooting in louisiana.

>> the latest deadly police shootings in minnesota. >> told him not to reach for it! >> a daed deadly police shootinn in north carolina setting off a wave of angry protests. >> tragedy in dallas. five officers killed, six others wounded. >> police across america feel this loss to their core. >> three police officers were killed down in baton rouge, louisiana, when they were am bushl ambushed. >> we have arrested the bus driver. >> what started out as a family vacation quickly turned into horror. >> the 2-year-old boy was wading from shallow water near disney world when he was grabbed by that alligator. >> lane, we love you up to heaven and down to the grass. >> authorities in cincinnati used lethal force on a gorilla.

>> zika. >> zika. >> first evidence that zika has spread to mosquitos here in the continental u.s. >> a public firestorm over the skyrocketing price of epipens. >> you virtually have a monopoly at the expense of people who need it. >> the water contamination crisis in flint, michigan. >> samsung is discontinuing the galaxy note 7. >> that unexpectedly catch fire. >> controversial transgender law in north carolina. >> that law would require transgender people to use the restroom that matches the gender on their birth certificates. >> consumer alert for anybody that banks with wells fargo. >> thousands of employees were caught setting up fake accounts and credit cards. >> have you returned one nickel of the money you earned while this scam was going on. >> hurricane matthew inching closer to the mainland after wreaking havoc in cuba and haiti. >> major developments in syria. >> despite a cease-fire deal, drashs are again raging in war

ravaged aleppo. >> an exodus of misery. tens of thousands fleeing an onslaught. >> russia's ambassador to turkey assassinated by a gunman as an art exhibition. >> breaking news. terror in brussels. powerful explosions rocking the airport and the city's subway systems. >> the horror and that is what people herere feeling. >> urgent manhunt to find killers who struck in the name of isis. >> terror in turkey. chilling video of the suicide bombings that rocked istanbul's main airport. >> three suicide bombers blew themselves up. >> passengers ran for their lives. >> terror in france. >> a truck plow odded through a crowd of a fireworks display. >> a driver on a killing spree. the truck was finally stopped by police bullets. >> apparent terror attack in berlin. a driver rammed a truck into a crowded christmas market. >> the driver barreling through the crowds without warning and

with deadly force. >> it is striking the similarities between this attack in berlin and what we saw in nice, france. >> i'm voting in. >> i think i'll vote out. >> voters in britain have decided to leave the european union. >> take back control. >> david cameron has said he will resign. >> wall street is reacting to that historic brexit vote. outcome has thrown the markets into turmoil. >> cuba's long-time former leader, fidel castro, has died. >> miami's little havana erupting in joy, a celebration nearly six decades in the making. ♪ >> the hollywood breakup shocking fans. angelina jolie and brad pitt announce they are calling it quits. >> kim car daesh ikardashian, t star, robbed in gunpoint in paris. >> "hamilton."

>> ha"hamilton" has taken the whole country by storm. >> everyone's chasing pokemon. al is busy right now. >> don't bother me. >> this one is lost on us old people. >> san francisco 49ers quarterback colin kaepernick is standing firm. >> boo! >> by refusing to stand during national anthem. >> i know whthat i'm doing what right. >> final seconds. it's over. the cavaliers are nba champions. >> lebron james brings that title to cleveland. >> cubs win the world series! >> the game of the century. what a night. >> this was one of the greatest world series games i've ever seen. >> it's raining in here champagne! ♪ >> games are under way.

>> michael phelps, a gold medal in the final olympic race of his career. >> thank you for giving us a front row seat to a great run. >> we are the final five! >> the most successful women's team in olympics history. >> usain bolt still invincible! >> that is allyson felix, the most decorated u.s. woman in olympic track and field history. >> it is a u.s. sweep. >> she was clipped from behind. >> a simple act of kindness just resonates with people. >> katie ledecky wins another olympic gold. >> hopefully it inspires other african-americans to get involved in sport. >> that's why we love covering the olympics. >> you won so many hearts.

>> the world's greatest athlete. >> the united states has won the bronze! >> to win the gold! >> oh! ♪ >> what are you going to say to your 25 million instagram followers about your experience here this morning? >> i loved the show. i am so excited. i love it! >> i must say i am a little intimidated. >> you look perfect. >> oh, good. >> don't you ever want to turn and say, why don't you find out what the weather is? >> let's talk about what you guys have already done to promote this movie. you've driven with a student driver and smoked marijuana with her. >> allegedly. >> allegedly. allegedly. >> how are you? ♪ >> was there ever a moment when

you thought, why did i do this? >> i as a parent of a child who has autism, i'm concerned and i want to know the truth. >> i was immature and made a stupid mistake. i'm human. i definitely learned from this. >> the vice president of the united states. >> if you could finish this sentence -- on saturday, january 21st, 2017, i will be -- >> somewhere warm. >> if 54-year-old barack obama could go back and talk to 47-year-old barack obama, what would you tell him? >> that your hair's going to go greyer a lot faster than you anticipated. >> smile and wave, boys. smile and wave. >> that's a postcard right there. ♪

>> wow. a lot happened. >> yeah, it sure did. made you realize why we needed the olympics so much, didn't it? when you looked at the sea of bad news that happened throughout the year. >> that's a huge effort that goes into putting a piece like that together. our thank yous to katie buckley, researcher charlotte gardener, editors mike sadowski, jacqueline spire and our graphic artist, paul macarone. that's a huge undertaking to go back through all those tapes. coming up in our next half-hour, we will remember some of the notable names we lost in 2016. and we are going to catch up with four-time emmy winner jim parsons. talk to him about his new movie and his sitcom and lots more right after your local news and weather. i'm ...

==topvo== new this morning: an unusual arrest in san >> a very good morning to you. it's 8:26. new this morning an unusual arrest in san francisco. the suspect wound up on the roof of a daycare center. san francisco police say it started about 4:00 a.m. when authorities found the minivan in the sand off the great highway. they found the van own was wanted for felony parole violation. a homeowner reported a break in attempt. officers arrived to find the suspect on the roof of a pre-school and talked him down peacefully. police have not indicated why the suspect violated parole or the new charges he may be face. traffic lights seems like the holidays are starting earlier. a lot of folks aren't going in for their early commute. telecommuting or doing other things like shopping.

over here an easy smooth drive. i want to take you up towards the north bay. we have that alert for slower drive. sig-alert lights were turned off. fog registers down in towards where our camera is. that may be an issue. look at our live camera and we see mostly sun, a little haze and not a lot of traffic. >> looks good. we'll be back with another local news update in half an hour. see you then. until then have a great morning.

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8:30 now on this thursday morning, it is the 22nd day of december, 2016. we've got a big crowd out here on rockefeller plaza. taking selfies. we've got charlie out here. dave price is here while al is off today. hoda's here for savannah while she continues on maternity leave. and look who that is. that is the multi-talented

danica keller collecting toys for our toy drive. it is awfully nice to have her here. she'll be back in our next hour to co-host "today's take." >> to the boys up here, she will always be winnie. >> from "the wonder years." emmy winner jim parsons plays a critical role in a new movie, "hidden figures." jim will tell us about that and find out what's next for his hit show "the big bang theory." then stuff your stockings with style. elizabeth mayhew has some great ideas you may not have thought of with only three days to go until christmas. what is a down-low burger? i'm about to find out. we cook one up and chow down on perfect game day feast. look at that. >> you can't put your mouth on that! that looks delicious. impl impl first, mr. dave price. >> we've got a lot to talk about as we head into the holiday weekend. as we take the turn to the end of the work week, look for heavy

rains rolling through sections of california. mountain snow for the pacific northwest. as we look at the northern plains states, things look kind of quiet. heading into christmas eve, rain begins to work its way east. unseasonably mild conditions as you head to the gulf states. in sections of northern new york and into new england, talking about some snow showers. christmas day, it is going to be warm up and down the 95 corridor. watch for blizzard conditions as you head through sections of the dakot dakotas, northern minnesota and. on the west coast, things look very, very nice. good morning. it is cold out there. make sure you bundle up. 47 degrees now in the peninsula and some upper 30s for the tri-valleys. some patchy profit 0 and phrasing temperatures in the north bay, only 31 degrees. nice this afternoon. we keep some dry weather. keep in mind if you'll be

traveling across southern california heavy rain coming down. our storm system will be coming in from the north and arrive tomorrow with rain off and on all throughout the day. >> great crowd out on the plaza, everyone! listen, i wants to tell you, don't forget, you can watch the giants and the eagles right here on nbc. we should see relatively clear skies, temperatures in the 30s. don't forget, coverage begins at 7:30 eastern. that's a quick look at your weather. matt? >> all right, dave, thank you very much. emmy and golden globe winner jim parsons is most recognized for his work on "the bitg bang theory." now in the new movie, "hidden figures," he plays a engineer working for nasa during the great space rights and the civil rights movement. he struggles to join the quest for equal rights. >> if we don't have the man

figured out yet. >> she doesn't have clearance, al. >> i cannot do my work effectively if i do not have all of the information and data as soon as it is available. i need to be in that room hearing for you hear. >> pentagon briefingings are not for civilians. it requires the highest clearance. >> and she is a woman. there is no protocol for a woman. >> okay, i get that part, paul. >> jim, good morning. welcome back. >> thank you for having me. >> if i were the casting director of this movie, i would say, obviously we're going to cast jim parsons as one of the engineers. then who are we going to cast after that? you're perfect at this. >> thank you. >> did you feel that way when you saw the script? >> when i first read the script, i was first shocked that i had never heard this story before and that i didn't know who these three women were. so i went to wikipedia. then it took me a few reads to kind of accept the part of my part that was a little difficult, which was i'm kind of a pain in the butt. that puts a kind spin on it.

>> ayour character is hard to like. >> he represents the personification of major hurd recahurdles and and attitude of the time. but once i got through that, it was a honor to be involved in it. >> going back to the casting part of this, when i was a kid i was obsessed with the space program. >> you were? >> i watched all the documentaries be with i read all the articles on it. when i saw you in your suit with that look, you just looked like every one of those clean-cut conservative engineers that i remember from nasa. >> it was important i looked like it because i certainly don't think like it. thank god for a costumer. >> did you have a period in your live when you were younger, kind of the space phase? >> i grew up in houston. we felt it was a part of our lives in that way. i did, like you, watched every

launch on tv. but, no, i never thought i wanted to be an astronaut. i think part of it is, it really does require a level of bravery or at least blinders on about something to risk doing something like that. >> i would imagine there is a little bit of checking an ego at the door when you make a movie like this because you are out there with people like kevin costner and you're an award winner and octavia spencer. what was it like? >> heaven. it really was. because this was one of those projects -- i've been lucky enough to be involved with them. "normal heart" was another one where everyone bought into this story and wanted so badly to tell it correctly and entertainingly that it was truly all in the service of the story. you felt that from everyone. >> so this was a great ensemble. talk about your own great ensemble, the cast of "big bang theory." are you guys coming back to that other network? >> i'm certainly not legalized to make any proclamations.

that being said, i suspect so. i intend on to. >> in our control room they're always going, "please don't come back!" >> oh, no. >> you think everybody will be there? >> i certainly hope so. i think there is a couple of things. number one, it's been such a fortunate joyride to get to do something that so many people watch and are entertained by. but we are staffed with some of the best writers who remain so invested in this. you know, i could see how certain things a decade in like we are could become a real slog at times. at least artistically speaking. because of the way they write these stories, it is truly a joy every week to be there. >> i kid about the competitive thing because when a show is great, we all are fans of it. it's a great show. >> that's true. well, thank you, but you are right. it is fun to watch anything good. >> jim, congratulations. >> thank you very much. >> "hidden figures" is in select theaters christmas day, then

goes nationwide january 6th. and last-minute stocking stuffers to make your loved ones' holidays bright. but first, this is "today" on nbc. drive me wild ♪ ♪ i've never known no one with quite your style ♪ ♪ i'm going crazy, thinking baby this may be my chance ♪ it's going to be like this all night long!! ♪ what would you say to me give the gift of garth. baby let's lay down and dance ♪ garth brooks the ultimate collection. 10 cd's just $21.25 when you use the target cartwheel app. only at target. baby let's lay down and dance ♪

back now at 8:40 this morning. a stress-free holiday. it is stocking stuffer times to help you cross those final items off your contributor and lifestyle expert. these are all cute things to get to put in a stocking before christmas. >> some can be failed to you. you can go to the sites i'm going to give you and find retailers near you. a lot of these things are available at targets, walmarts, all of those places. >> what shouldby get for our teen? >> emoji is huge. this is emoji nail polish. it has emoji shaped sparkles in it. >> it is so cute! >> from color club and it is $8.50 a bottle.

emoji continuing the trend. this is like the beanie baby of today, called sticker beans. they are $4.99. >> for the women in your life? >> you know how you get to the bottom of your foundation and it makes you so angry because there's so much in there? this is like a little beauty spatula so you get it all out. >> that could work for lip gloss, stuff in the corners. >> $3.99 from the container store. these are fun little gummy bears. they're hand creams and hand sanitizers. we're going to give matt one of these in his stocking. those are $8 from skinfood.u.s. >> a fancy way to open up a bottle. >> these are coasters but they also double as an opener. you just flip it underneath there. you're maybe better than i am. >> hey, hey, hey, hey.

>> there you go. those are from originalboss.com. >> this one a friend of mine has. it is genius. if you are always looking for your readers and don't know where they are. >> these are called thin optics. you get two in whatever strength you need. they come in a little case. you can stick it on to your phone. then you can wear them -- they don't look great on but you can still read at the restaurant. then you put them back in the little case. >> if you have a pen you love, you never want it to run out of ink. >> these are extra large cartridges in there. called the seven-year pen. they're $8.95. they last forever. super cool. coloring is huge right now. >> everybody's doing it. grown-ups. >> everybody. they find it relax. these are sticker rolls and they come off in square sheets so they make great placemats for kids. those are from michael's. also washy tape you can cover

all different things, tape up packages but you can also color it. that's from land of nod. >> this one i think people are going to go flocking to. if you are tired of saran wrap not wrapping the bowls correctly -- >> these are -- >> watch in slow motion. >> it goes on the bowl. it works on pots, on everything. >> let's see. maybe it won't. >> they start at about $8. also in silicone. these are from fred and friends. they are -- again, we're reusing but these are cupcake liners. when you get done with each one it has a fortune in the bottom. this is so cool. been around since the '50s. super popular. $1.99 chocolate covered marshmallows from target. smallest rubik's cube you've

ever seen from my favorite stocking stuffer site called perpetualkid.com. and old-fashioned fun, balloon animals. >> all of this is on our website since we had to go a little quickly. but wait, there's more. we have bonus ideas. check out today.com/shop. up next, the recipe for a must-have burger for watching tonight's big game. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

we're back now with "today food loves football." there is a big game on nbc tonight, the new york giants and philadelphia eagles. here with a burger that you're going to want on your plate as you watch that game is executive chef and partner of love and salt in los angeles. michael, good morning. good to see you. >> morning. >> you're in los angeles now. where were you born zp. >> long island. right here. >> you are a -- >> giants fan. >> okay. good. just wanted to make sure we

could keep going with this. i just wanted to make sure. >> not when i look at the scoreboard though. oh, i'm sorry. >> he's tough. >> i got to watch my back. >> there is a little bit of old home week when you and carson saw each other. >> michael is one of my favorite chefs. i frequent his restaurant quite a lot. >> it's funny. i think i live where you grew up and you live where i grew up. >> we are both having the holidays on long island. >> cool. >> making a down low burger. take a look at the ingredients. >> short risb. you could use whatever you want. i like short rib because it is a little fattier so it gives us you a little more moisture to your burger. an aioli so it's got a little zinc. caramelized conyons. >> start with a big heavy skillet. >> salt and pepper. that's going to get them cooking. >> how long is that going to take? >> a couple hours.

the slower, the deeper. >> they've gotten caramelized. that's the consistency you want right there. talk to me about the aioli. why do you like this sauce? >> it has to add balance. the burger is so rich, you want to add a little zing to it. aioli or fancy mayonnaise. chili sauce so you got a little bit of heat. tomato paste. garlic. a little salt and pepper. real simple. the best part about a lot of this stuff is you can make it ahead of time. you're going to have a lot more than the recipe. it is that easy. you'll have a lot more than to take to the burgers. it is a good dip, a good dressing. >> we've got the burgers. winter, football season, so people aren't grilling outside anymore. >> i like to do them in a pan because i know the grill marks look pretty but i like to get

them nice and caramelized all over. then you keep your juices. you are not losing the juices to the grill. >> it is a gourmet burger. it is elevated but it is not snobby. >> it's so good. >> delicious. it makes you forget about the game. >> i mean if you're a raiders fan, you probably want to. >> no, we're doing good this year. >> that's true. >> one thing you never want to do, take the spatula and start pressing down on the burgers. >> right. leave them alone. that will push the juices out of them. exactly where you don't want the juices to go. they're caramelized on one side. give them a little flip. that's when you can put the cheese on top. >> what kind of cheese you using? >> i like a sharp cheddar. sharper the better for me. i like the balance against the richness of the burger. >> carson comes in your restaurant often? >> he does. yes. carson and siri. hoda, too. >> joel and i went. yeah. manhattan beach. >> really great.

all the food needs, a little love and a a little salt. >> that's right. >> how long we cooking? >> just until the cheese melts. we'll put -- i got the caramelized onions then. aioli on the bread. i like to put -- i guess we both have it. i like to put it on the top and the bottom because i like a lot of it. if you put it in one spot it is going to get all over you. >> they sell these buns? >> first thing i said, when i got leer, where does the "today" though get their buns. >> put that right on there. >> you got to double-deck it. onions, pickles, onions right on top of the burger. >> is that too much? >> as much as you like. >> then pickles with beiand ano patty. >> oh, that's why. >> that's great. >> i'm not as much a pickle guy so i'm going to pass on that.

right over here. michael, thank you. again, go -- >> giants. >> there you go. michael, nice see you. >> you want to do this so i can take a bite? >> for the recipe, logon to today.com/food. watch the giants and the eagles on nbc. coverage begins at 7:30 eastern tonight. we are back in a moment. >> go raiders! >> this is "today" on nbc.

welcome back. from iconic actors and musicians to politicians and athletes who changed the world, we said good-bye to many legends this 2016. >> so we're going to leave you this morning with a tribute to some of those people. ♪ >> i'm the king of the world. >> hold it, hold it, hold it. >> float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. >> we've had a great life. a great life. >> i like thinking about the law. i like figuring out the right answer to legal problems. >> calling the president, the first lady and their political supporters.

>> this is joe gargiola in the baltimore clubhouse. ♪ it's the story of a lovely lady ♪ ♪ ooh show me that smile >> my friend said i talk about my hair too much. he said can't you talk about current events? i said, sure. how does it look right now? >> hello, darling. i'm zsa zsa. >> winner is patty duke. >> what are you doing wandering the corridors at night? ♪ hallelujah ♪

♪ take it easy take it easy ♪ do you remember when it was high september ♪ >> third strikeout for jose hernandez. >> appreciate it. please, don't ever send us food again. >> this is what the war in vietnam is all about. >> i will support and defend the constitution of the united states. >> three, two, one, zero. >> godspeed, john glenn. >> don't forget what happened to the man who suddenly got everything he always wanted. he lived happily ever after ♪ ♪ ground control to major tom

♪ this is what it sounds like when doves cry ♪ it ♪ purple rain purple rain ♪ purple rain purple raini'm .. ==topvo== the battle between tenants and landlords is heating up in good thursday morning. i'm sam brown. the battle between tenants and land lords in mountain view is getting dialed up another notch. voters approved measure b that is supposed to roll back rents and prevents evictories. but today a landlord backed restraining order is expected to argue in court. and tenants have asked the city

attorney not to impose that injunction citing concerns over legality. while the fate of the measure is expected to play out in control, rent control advocates are planning a rally and a march. happening right now, pete will bring us a live report. learn more right now on our home page. the driver luxury car slams into a thrift store. when authorities show up no one is there. on our facebook page the images and who witnesses say saw run from the crash scene. brad pitt breaks his silence in a child custody dispute with angelina jolie. concerns he's now raising in a southern california court. that will do it for us right now. we'll see you again with another update in 30 minutes.

i'm sheinelle jones along with our special co-host for the day, actress, author and mathematician, and the ultimate girl next door, danica mckeller. good morning.

are we ready to dance? >> yeah. >> i feel like the elephant in the room. i'll try not to be a fan girl for the next 60 minutes. but you know what i'm thinking. "the wonder years." a lot of us remember you as winnie cooper? >> that's fine. i loved being on that show. such a wonderful experience. it's afforded me so many opportunities now obviously. >> right. it was a safe place. my mom would allow me to watch it. my aunt would watch it. we all watched it. >> i know. i loved being a part of it. >> i didn't realize over the last -- over the years you've been in more than 80 different films and television series. >> that's what this says here which is amazing to me. >> that's a lot of lines to memorize but you are a mathematician. >> that's right. >> this latest project is going to be on lifetime. >> it's called "mommy i didn't do it," the sequel to a movie we did three years ago called "the wrong woman" that was a big hit on lifetime and they decided to do a sequel. the last movie i played a

housewife accused of attempted murder who finds herself having to defend herself in court because my lawyer was doing a terrible job. i go from looking this meek housewife into a warrior who has to fight for her own life. >> "mommy i didn't do it." is this the child of the same character? >> yes. now it is my daughter. terrible luck in this family when it comes to the law. but she's now accused of murder. at this point in the story i am a defense story. >> murdering who? >> her high schoolteacher. i know, i know. but it's really heart wrenching because of course my character remembers what it was like to be thrown in jail. you can imagine if you're like -- you're a mom. imagine if one of your kids is in trouble. how do you resist defending them yourself? i defend my child in court. >> i think we have a clip. >> yes. from when she first goes to jail. >> when were you going to tell me about this? >> can you bail me out or what?

>> i'm going to try. it's a lot of money. >> what are you saying? i have to spend the night here? >> i'm so sorry. >> spend the night is probably more than a night. >> yeah. >> "mommy i didn't do it" airs on january 1st. >> everyone's hung over and tired. right? you hang out on your couch and relax and turn on "mommy i didn't do it" on lifetime. i'll be live tweeting. bring your phone to your couch. >> i mentioned this the a the top of the hour. i think this is fascinating because you are an artist. you are creative, you are an actress but you also use the other side offy you are brain because you are a math whiz. if you write a textbook on math, are you a math whiz. >> four. five. >> you encourage girls to succeed in math.

>> yes. these books are for ages 9 through 15. it runs from middle school math through high school and geometry. mckellermath.com is the website. you figure out which book is right for what age. i'll be writing more next year. >> you have to make it fun. 9 to 15 i felt like it was hard. >> middle school was the time when math gets confusing, it is the time when life gets confusing. that's why "the wonder years" was written for that time because there are so many emotions an hormone oz going on. everything is changing. you don't want to be a nerd, right? you are worried about what other people think. just at that time when you are worried about your image and yourself image, math gets harder. >> i don't want to be a math nerd! this is about breaking stereotypes an telling girls, being smart, being good at math is more than just the math. it is about being in control of your life. >> let's talk about real life for a moment. talk about christmas traditions. yesterday we were talking with al and jenna. i realized i need to start some new traditions. you've done that pretty well. have you a 6-year-old? >> yeah. >> what kind of things do you

guys do to celebrate the holidays? >> we love going skiing. that's something we usually do during the holidays. not on christmas but before and afterwards we love that. cookies out for santa. he's 6 years old so we have to make sure santa is happy. we like to make decorations. literally pipe cleaners and beads. so easy. that's a personalized ornament with his little face, too. that's our tree. that's our tree this year. it is a big tree. it is a living tree. notice it is actually in a container. it is alive. we water it, then it goes back to the farm. >> it goes back to the farm. >> exactly. we rent the tree. we rent a living tree. that's one of our traditions. >> i realized that since today is thursday, throwback thursday, all of my pictures from the holidays are from the past when i was a kid. i notice all the pictures i take these days are on my phone. we have to start printing out these pictures. my mom and grandma were able to go to scrapbooks.

don't ask we why i'm making that face. there is another one with something on my head. but that was fun. festive. >> what is this? >> i have no idea. i tried to tweak the color. you can tell that was in the late '70s, early '80s. >> they're all orange for some reason. >> if you are at home, you remember those old-school rockers? >> they squeaked. >> yes. i bought them for my kids. springs. i bought with the little fancy wooden thing, it is not the same as the one that's a hazard. >> reporter: you can cut off your pinky. >> let's see your pictures. >> that's me and my sister, crystal. >> so crystal was also a child actress, right? >> yes, she was. there we're painting the windows. she played becky slater. she was a child actress but now she is a lawyer.

she is the blonde. >> it was a family affair. >> exactly. speaking of family affairs, if you are at home, facebook and tweet us. do you remember if you're marry the first time you spent a holiday away from your own family, perhaps with your in-laws? >> yeah. >> remember that? >> it's funny, we've managed somehow to see my mom every year on christmas. even if it doesn't start off that way. i know i'm still clinging on to that. >> when i have kids it becomes a little bit better but when you are away from your folks, it is sad at first but you get used to it. liam hemsworth and miley cyrus a are together for the holidays. >> he doesn't like like he is part of the group. i bess t he's thinking, is this going to get posted? >> he's kind of off to the side. >> they're a hot couple. she was with all her siblings. i guess they probably -- they're used to each other. >> totally. >> that's a fun conversation. you ready for the news now? >> absolutely.

where is the weather report? i thought i was co-hosting. >> no. stick around. coming up, an employee that took christmas spirit to the next level. it is being called the most festive cubicle ever. you have to see it to believe it comi i love you so much. that's why i bought six of you... for when you stretch out. i want you to stay this bright blue forever... that's why you will stay in this drawer... forever. i can't live without you. and that's why i will never, ever wash you. protect your clothes from the damage of the wash with downy fabric conditioner. it not only softens and freshens... it helps protect clothes... from stretching, fading and fuzz... so your favorite clothes stay your favorite clothes. downy fabric conditioner wash in the wow. it's just a cough.our cough, sfx: woman coughing you'd see how often you cough all day. and so would everyone else. robitussin 12 hour delivers fast, powerful cough relief that lasts up to 12 hours. robitussin 12 hour cough relief, because it's never just a cough.

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and when cancer is least expecting it. courage. just one reason more of us are surviving cancer than dying from it. give now to the american cancer society. back with more of "today's take" and our zbeguest co-host, danica mckeller. i was looking at a new study, and board games are making a comeback. i guess i shouldn't be surprised. >> sales have actually soared 20% for games. this isn't like video games. this is actually physical old-school games. >> yes.

speaking everything which. i told you, i have two 4 year-olds, a 7-year-old and a 6-year-old. i am so guilty of allowing my kids -- they're traveling right now to go see their grandmother. they each have a tablet. so i think it is good that we're pulling back and playing games together again as a family. >> something you can touch and feel. >> yes. there are all sorts of board games. it is not just for kids, too. i can't remember the name -- something with humanity in it. >> that's not for kids. >> no, no. >> humanity for the children. >> i have a 6-year-old and a stepson who is 12-year-old. we thought it would be so funny to have my son read some of these cards. no, it is hrisque. some of it is poopy jokes the kids will like. but it is for grown-ups.

>> connect four used to be my favorite. >> monopoly? >> you know i've never gotten to the end of monopoly. ever. >> what? >> have you ever gotten to the end of risk? >> everybody's salt laking their head. >> do you remember risk? my dad used to love that and i hated it. it took so long to play. >> do you remember the game hungry hungry hippo? anybody remember that game? >> yes! >> those are the kind of games i remember. my son's into scrabble. >> i used to love pictionary and taboo. >> those are all coming back. >> and my son loves charades. you don't need anything to plasia raids. >> what's the one where you put it on your head. >> heads up. >> yes! love that. those are all things for the holidays. good for your family, bond. speaking of bonding and annoying people -- i just added that in -- apparently the word is out. the most annoying word or phrase. >> yes. >> what do you think it would

be? the most annoying word. >> whatever. >> that was officially the most annoying word of the year. >> 38% of people are annoyed by this word. you remember the movie "dumb and dumber." that horrible screeching sound, that's probably a higher percentage. i have a 6-year-old so i know that sound. yeah, "whatever" is especially annoying with the hand gesture. whatever. talk to the hand. >> there is another one. >> why isn't talk to the hand on this list. >> 20%. no offense, but -- >> but i'm about to offend you. >> another one is, "i can't even." >> the kids. all the guys i love are old in you have to say "i can't even." >> the one i do that's on the list but it was only like 7% of the people find it annoying is "no worries." >> i think "no worry" is good

because you are reassuring somebody not to worry. >> take a look at this. apparently some offices really get into the holiday spirit. they had a contest at this lady's -- >> melissa o'neil. this woman won $50 in an office cubicle decoration contest after transforming her work space into a log cabin. >> it encloses her office. you can actually walk inside. >> cardboard tubes. seems sort of accessible. >> i love the fact that apparently she made it with her boyfriend at home. i was trying to think about when i was dates iing, that's the la thing. i remember my high school homecoming, it was like "grease." we decorated our hallways.

>> i like decorating. at home, there's never too much garland. it is sparkly, you pair the it with the lights and the lights reflect off the garland. >> you guys should send us your pictures, facebook, twitter. your throwback thursday pictures and your holiday pictures. >> decorations. sparkly. >> you are filling in this morning and you wanted to do the weather. al is not here . slow moving systems continues over towards las vegas, this will not move into the bay area, we are looking at a storm further. as we go into tomorrow with some sunshine and highs reaching in the 50s and rain off and on tomorrow and another system moving in early on monday morning.

>> do news people lean in? do we do the eyebrow thing, too? >> that might be old-school. >> the other thing you do is stack the papers. >> because they are very important. >> don't throw away those bar cookies just yet. great baking apps to heavy save christmas right after this. i way dentist was explaining to me the acidity of foods and what they can do to your teeth. thinning of the teeth and leading to being extremely yellow would probably gross me out! my dentist recommended pronamel. it can help protect enamel from acid erosion. my mouth feels really fresh and clean and i stuck with it. i really like it. it gives me a lot of confidence. pronamel is all about your enamel. helping to protect your enamel. come on r2! we gotta go! ♪

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you shouldn't give underwear to everybody. but for those you do, give them fruit of the loom. . we have our cookies, icing, syringes, because we're performing some cookie surgery to help you save that burnt batch. you know when you get a big batch of cookies and they're all black on bottom? our contributor at cafemom.com has some clever hacks to help you in the kitchen this christmas season. there he a nothing worse. i've done it with my kids. they're so excited but you just want to eat the top off of them because bottoms are gross. >> we have a simple hack to get rid of that. don't tell our kids but take any

sort of cheese grater or any fine grader, just grate the bottom. >> like you did burnt toast. >> yes. and we can get rid of that you'll burned stuff that the kids complain about. >> does this really work? >> it does. and it doesn't kill the cookie. i'm being kwingerly about it. >> put your whole hand under it. hold it. you can save any batch of cookies that way. >> talk about decorating for a moment. >> icing is fun but it is messy. the kids have their hands in each container, piping bags they can't quite hold. this is a really super solution. >> this is brilliant. >> use a little kid's syringe from like medicine packaging. you can just pipe right on to the cookie. you can be really precise with your decorating. >> how did you think of this? >> you know, it just is all

about what you have working with what you got. >> you know what? if you're not a baker -- >> i still give my son medicine in this. he's 6 years old. >> it is a simple way to decorate and make it really festive. >> doilies? this looks beautiful, by the way. >> this looks master full. right? >> professional. >> yes. you don't have to be professional. take one of these paper doilies, use an actual old grandma style doily if you want to but these paper doilies work just as well. take the doily and you can test it out. when you sprinkle it over when it is finely pressed, it will make the shape that you use. >> do you have to put it right on the cookie? >> make sure the that cookie is not hot because it will melt right in to it. just hold it over the cookie. you can kind of test it out on like a cutting board. this is just so beautiful. it makes the pattern. >> you can put it directly on top of the cake and that's at

shape that you've got. >> you've got some hacks here for if people don't eat all of their cookies right away. maybe some people don't eat all the cookies. >> cookies last about two seconds in my house. but if you are a family that wants to save and preserve cookies or kind of pace yourself, use apple slices to save your cookies. place your cookies in a tupperware container, air-tight. place your apple slices right on top. apple slices basically give the moisture off that keep the cookies moist. the apples will shrink and shrivel up but the cookies will be delicious and perfect to eat. >> you throw away the apples. >> it doesn't affect the taste. you just have to get rid of it. coming up, the one and only denzel washington. opens up with the all-star cast for his new film "fences." but first, your local news.

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==topvo== new this morning: an unusual arrest in san francisco: after a man wound up on the roof of a daycare all new this morning, i am sam brock. a man round up on the roof of a daycare center at the early hours. san francisco police say it started about 4:00 a.m. when authorities found a minivan on the sand. police found the owner was one of the parole violation. officers arrived on the scene and they found the suspect on the roof of a daycare center. that's what the scene looked like earlier this morning. they were able to talk him down peacefully down that ladder. >> happening today, the battle

between tenants and landlord takes another turn in mountain view. a roll backup on rents. it will start tomorrow. today, a landlord back temporary restraining order is scheduled to be argued in court. renter groups claims that the city council members of mountain view have asked not to impose the injunction. on the faith of the measure is expected to play in court. advocates are planning a rally and a march in civic center plaza. we are expecting some rain showers tomorrow. it could impact your holiday travel plans. kari hall is going to join us on that next.

good morning, i am meteorologist kari hall, a lot of sunshine across the bay area today. enjoy, even though it is cool, it is a total 51 degrees. upper 30s for parts of the north bay. it is 48 degrees now in san francisco.

highs today reaching low 60s and we'll be tracking a couple of weather system, one in southern california and another one that'll be impacting the bay area tomorrow. lets head over to mike for a look of traffic. >> kari, look, it is all green. we'll get a couple of slow spots. busy commute right now. none scheduled down towards. recovery over the last couple of minutes there. this will not clear for hours if you are headed for highway 101 to i-5. we have the traffic control continuing. good to know, mike, thank you very much, we'll see you again in 30 minutes with more news.

he is one of the most acclaimed actors of all time, starring in award winning movies like "philadelphia" and "training day" and portraying iconic real-life figures like mall conx. now oscar and golden globe winner denzel washington is directing and starring in the new film "fences" playing a former baseball turned sanitation worker in 1967 pittsburgh who missed out on turning pro and he is trying to keep his son corey from facing a similar fate. >> you want to play football, you keep up with your chores, hold that job down at the a&p. that was the conditions. >> i can't work after school during the football season. i tried to tell you. you don't never want to listen

to nobody. then i go and done this to me. >> you done it to yourself. just because you didn't get a chance. you just scared i'm going to be better than you. >> i was talking back to my computer at that back. denzel and giovanni, good morning. take me back to the journey on the big screen. it was seven years in the making. were you tapped to either direct or act in the film adaptation by this screen play? did you want to take it to broadway first. >> scott ruden, one of the producers, sent me a script. he said what do you want to do? i said let me read it. i had not read the play but i had seen the play in the '80s with james earl jones but i saw it more of the perspective from corey's character because i was younger. i called scott, i said i want to do the play. let's do the play. he said you want to do the play?

i said yeah. we did it and had great success with you. >> that play was 2010. i remember i was living in philadelphia at the time and i am a part of all these women groups. there were bus loads of folks. i remember church groups, my church, we were coming to new york city and some people were coming two and three times. >> good! >> they were putting it all over facebook. it was powerful to watch and so many people got different things out of it for different reasons. did you feel that when you were on stage? did you say, let's do this, take it to the screen? >> people ask me what do i want people to get from this film. i said it depends upon what you bring to it. that's the brilliance of august wilson. it's about gaerthfathers, sons, relationships, deception. we had a screening in l.a. a week or so ago and we had a q&a with the audience. a guy said i didn't know august wilson was polish. i said what? he said that's just like my

family. >> you got the band back together then. then you added this rock star, jovan here. viola davis. was it an easy sell to get everybody together? >> i'm still on "rock star." >> talk about this rock star. this is the man, the myth, the legend. talk to me about how you were pulled in to this here. shouldn't say pulled in, but your audition. did you just hear his voice, oh, it's denzel. don't know if you went like this. >> something very similar. it was an opportunity any young actor would want to work with somebody you admire in your craft and an opportunity to get access to such rich material. i was really excited to get the opportunity just to audition. but actually earning the part, that's where it is. that's the best. >> he was fantastic. he was fantastic. talk to me about the dynamic between the two of you for people who don't know. i kind of set it up at the beginning. you could have gone pro. you were a baseball star in the negro league. then you come along and want to play football. i can say he is mean?

you were tough but sometimes you were just -- >> you got to understand the times. >> it was a generational shift. >> it was a generational shift. my character thinks he could have made it but he was a bit old and he was frustrated about that. he's like -- what was his name from "all in the family"? >> archie. >> he's equal opportunity hater. jackie robinson, he ain't nobody. hank aaron, i'm better than him. so his frustration about him not making it, he visits on his son. >> did you when you were playing that role see him in -- there were times where you seem so nervous and agitated. did it -- the fact that it was denzel, did that play into it or were you truly in the character? >> a little bit definitely played into that because this is -- when i first auditioned and i was standing outside of the office and i heard his voice, i had to pump myself up to get ready to go in there. he opens the door and he had his baseball cap on. he's like jovan adepo.

i was like, denzel, what's up, plan? i walked in all stuttering and everything. even when it came all the way to filming and after rehearsals, i still had a little bit of nerves because this is my first feature film and i wanted to keep my collector happy with the work i was doing. >> to have denzel here and talk about this powerful film, it is an honor. jovan, best of luck to you. "fences" opens christmas day. back with more of "toda walgreens presents, a holiday mini miracle. hey! hey! ♪ this is for you. did you really? didn't have too! ♪ getting the gift you almost kept for yourself? now that's a holiday mini miracle. and it's easy to create your own at walgreens... with most stores open till midnight, and till 10 p.m. on christmas day. walgreens. at the corner of happy and healthy.

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all those oddly shaped gifts. >> did you just put math in there? >> i did. i couldn't help it. >> amy goodman is the lifestyle editor for zulily.com. no bumpy or lumpy president is too big of a a challenge for her wrapping skills and now she is going to share her secrets. >> good morning. i have ten solutions for oddly shaped gifts. >> ten. >> i am the worse www.wro wrapp the planet. jewelry, earrings, delicate necklaces. take your paper towel roles, take a dinner knife with a little serration. first flatten it and make a little half-moon on the side to both the top and bottom. what's going to happen is it is going to make this cute little cylindrical box. you can make these cute little jewelry boxes. you can stash some cash in there if you want. my producer even had the idea

for a gift card to kind of deck kate that up. >> something the kids can do. >> now wine bottles. cle clean them, empty then, take off the labels. >> how would you empty them? >> this was easy for me to do. pop open the cork there. you, too. what's inside but a beautiful necklace, a delicate necklace. >> that's a cute idea! >> if you have the metallic markers you can also decorate the outsides. we have happy hanukah for our saturday start of hanukah and kwanzaa starts monday as well. for your jars that you have in your cabinets, decorate them with cotton balls. these are all just hot-glued in. branches from the tree, hot-glue them on with some pine cones from the yard. you could do the whole jar but just fill the rest up with tissue. >> that's so cute.

>> you can reuse these items for next year even for gifting in the future. >> this looks like you bought it from some special fancy pants store. >> it is my little igloo. >> i am waiting for the penguins to run up. >> let's get moving. >> for sports balls, they're so difficult. i literally thought of this while drinking out of my coffee cup. wrap that up with some tissue paper. a little santa hat. wrap it up with some tissue. this is the cotton balls. we're just going to open this right up. this is some construction paper for the eyes. emoji eyes. what we have here is -- sorry, son. it is your soccer ball. >> that's a work of art. >> that's cute. frankly, you could just go get gift bags and you are doing something a lot more creative. then for larger equipment like tennis rackets and government clubs, take butcher paper from your kid' painting station. wrap it up. >> that's true.

i got this big long roll of butcher paper. i never thought of it. >> outline it, get two sheets, sandwich the equipment inside. staple it inside, decorate it with some decorative tape. you can makemonograms. they're so odd and difficult to wrap. for the very large boxes, you have the belly button that shows. box belly button. >> i just flip it every so they couldn't see it. >> this is an idea from papyrus. take your paper and eight inches on either side. fold it up to the side and make a crease. then you bring that back down and you are going to make a fold along that crease. double stick tape it why i pre-did here. bring it up to the edge. tape it it up. for the sides, just make a little triangle on either side here. we finished right here. >> beautiful! last one. >> if you don't have the paper tissue paper, masking tape, wrap

up the luggage, maybe your own paper. for the bike you use a tablecloth. you just wrap it up japanese style. >> thank you so much! >> we got a lot in. happy still some mid-30s for the north bay but highs this afternoon we'll be reaching into the upper 50s to low 60s. overall a nice day and the rain arrives tomorrow. >> i'm about to wrap everything in tablecloths. coming upping, no purchase necessary. if you are your kids want to get in on the gifting action, we have last-minute presents they can make with odds and ends from around your house.

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walmart. you're probably wondering why thai've just carvedng! a giant wooden tiger. well, the answer is that a real one would maul me. i've crafted dr. whiskers here as a visual aid to show you that should you visit the lot, carmax associates will not pounce like tigers because people don't like that. come here to buy a car. dr. whiskers won't pounce. nobody will. ♪ that tugging on your sweater is your adorable child deciding last-minute that they want to give a gift. >> the good news is that those little hands can craft simple, easy gifts straight from the heart. here with some creative ideas this morning, good housekeeping executive editor megan murphy. good morning. we have your little munchkins here.

everyone's so well behaved. >> they're occupied. some of the most meaningful special gifts don't cost a penny. these diy gifts are truly priceless. my kids made this with their fingerprint. fixer print necklac-- fingerpri necklaces with no-bake clay. >> they've been sitting quietly over here. >> not only is it an amazing gift but it keeps them really busy. we made these angels for our d godmother's with the kids' thu p thumbprints. a snowflake for our college baby-sitter. >> i think anything with a thumbprint is instantly more special. captures that moment in time. these are ornaments we made with cookie cutters. this was our christmas card this year.

we turned it into an ornament. it's one of those things you save year after year. you could hang it on your tree. i'm going to make them. we also did them with excess wrapping paper. this was an aingeal christmas card. this was a little bit of card stock. look what piper's doing. take the cookie cutter, trace it and cut it out. use glitter glue because if you make a mess it is just more glitter. we're doing with some of our friends' christmas cards, too. it is a great hostess gift. bring the ornament as a last-minute gift. >> i get so many christmas cards from my friends. >> and it gives you something to do with them. we're making chocolate strawberry santa brownie bites. moms, if you don't even want to make brownies, you can do these with store-bought brownies and nobody knows the difference. take a little icing, squeeze it there, put your strawberry on top.

>> how old are you? >> i'm 9. >> he's 9 and he's taller than me if i take my heels off. that's fine. >> these are the things i like to have on hand. the neighbor gives you a gift. you go in there and bust out a tray. >> they look so hard but we did them in a hot second. >> this makes me happy. these are flower sack dish towels that we made. this was my grandmother's pound cake recipe and i transferred it on to here. my 8-year-old nephew made this for my mom. merry christmas. look how busy. he's making a letter to santa. >> kid's handwriting is priceless. you can write out anything. you'll have it forever. >> you can use sharpies. you can write on a plain dishtowel you already have around the house. flower sacks, so sim tal. secret -- i did what i wanted to do on the computer, then traced it out because i can't do a bundt cake. look how busy he is. >> these are like little

artbooks or photo albums. you can really create them with anything. i took a handle from a bag and a bottle cap, glued some buttons. i made a little photo album. you can use computer paper and a keychain. >> megan, this is all really great. >> it is so personal. >> you can use stamps. all of your craft supplies. raid the craft supplies. >> good stuff. we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc.

we want to thank our amazing crowd on the plaza this morning. danica, you were out there collecting toys and gifts for children in need. thank you to all of companies that have doe flatnated so far.

we've already sent more than $12 million in gifts to children all over this country. we have kelly from microsoft and ben from dick's sporting goods. a couple of our generous contributors. good morning. kelly, start with what you guys are donating from microsoft. >> microsoft is pleased to be doe naturing $2 million in technology grants to youth-based non-profit organizations. in addition, microsoft is donating 200 laptops for kids at the toy drive. it is a great laptop, ultra light. runs windows 10. it is great for students. >> the idea of giving software grants is unique. we haven't had any donations like this one. >> yes, it is unique. it is something at microsoft we've been doing for over 30 years. it is real important that we give back to the communities where we operate. in addition to the software we are donating, every day in our microsoft stores we offer free workshops for kids. >> my kid actually did -- my kid. my kid! went to a coding class. from dick's sporting goods, ben? >> at dick's sporting goods we truly believe that sports matter and giving the gift of sport can give us a chance to create

memories that will live well beyond just the holiday season. we are so excitesed to d to be g $40,000 to the toy drive, giving kids a first baseball or softball glove or a basketball if they are very young. >> happy holidays to all of you. and thank you! a fun morning. tomorrow is your last chance to donate gifts to our celebrity elf on the plaza. you can also donate at amazon.com/today. check all our website for all of the details. thanks some to the fabulous danica mckeller. watch her in "momnymy i didn't it." >> kathie lee and hoda are next after your local news.

we are tracking the next storm system that'll be moving in the bay area starting out with some showers earlier tomorrow. this moves from north to south bringing some heavy rain. the hour by hour outlook shows that today is all dry.

also, comfortable temperatures by the morning commute tomorrow. some time of showers and there will be some heavy rain along with some breezy winds. we'll have more updates on that. lets head over to mike on the road ways. >> we won't have much of one. we'll track as the weather changes. not much changed from green improvements from the peninsula. north 280 approaching wolf roads, same as yesterday, they are working on the trees. you may have the slowing block. slower drive head ing up to cupertino. traffic control because of the wire down here. back to you. happening now,just in the san francisco police officer union filed a lawsuit of the new force policy. that banned the use of carotid

restraints and firing moving vehicles. update on the search for that attacker. plus, oprah loses 40 pounds. the company that she credits gained $100 million in value.

from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. hey, everybody, welcome. we're so happy you spend your thirsty thursday with us. it's thursday, december 22 n. that is "walking in my sleep" by andrew mcmahon and the wilderness. >> we have a fantastic ambush makeover. these two are drop jaw. they want to celebrate the holidays in style. they're going to have brand-new looks for christmas. >> also with 2