look, kari hall, go to her facebook page and check it out. good morning. one-two punch. powerful winter storms racing across the country. 55 million people set to be impacted. in the south, crippling amounts of snow expected, as that new arctic blast plunges temperatures, in some cases, 40 degrees below normal. breaking overnight, "the wall street journal" reporti donald trump considering a major overhaul of u.s. intelligence. this as top officials prepare to meet with the president-elect tomorrow. will it be a briefing? or will it be a dressingdown? brutal act. chilling video of a chicago teenager being beaten and tortured, streamed live on facebook. >> it's sick.

it's sick. >> four teenagers arrested. and the growing calls the charge them with hate crimes. and saying good-bye. private memorials for carrie fisher and debbie reynolds, as a documentary is set to be released, highlighting their bond. we have an exclusive preview today, thursday, january 5th, 2017. from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> good morning, everyone. day four of katie here. >> i watched this extraordinary documentary called "bright lights" about carrie and debbie's relationship. and i can't stop hearing this song.

she was 19 when she was in "singing in the rain." isn't that amazing? >> i wish more people got to see that movie in particular. good to have you back. >> thank you. let's get to the top story this thursday morning. temperatures going from cold to much colder, as a major winter storm begins a march across the country. al is tracking it all. good morning to you. >> it's a one, two, three punch. in the midwest, they've been seeing the snow. this is kansas city, missouri. got the plows going early last night. and they just continue. but even still, cars and folks having a hard time staying on track as the snow comes down. here we go. we got 25 states, 55 million people under some winter weather advisory, watch or warning as we move along. atlanta, into new york, and into california. the first punch comes across into tonight, into tomorrow

morning. some light snow here in the northeast. but heavier snow through friday. tomorrow morning's rush hour may be a mess in the northeast. then, another two systems coming across, bringing a wintry mix to the south. it continues to move out for the weekend. snowfall amounts, depending on which model you look at, the european model, the heavier snow is in the mid-atlantic and the southeastern atlantic states. the u.s. model, from carolina to atlanta, one to three inches up into new york. and then, we have this freezing cold. 13 states, 11 million people, under windchill warnings and advisory. 24 below in bismarck. 8 in cleveland. 20 in nashville. one more day. and then we look at the temperatures finally moderating into the weekend a bit. but it's going to be a rough 72 hours for a good portion of the country winter weather-wise. >> keep an eye on it, al. thank you very much. now to politics and the

escalating battle between donald trump and the u.s. intelligence community. top officials are heading to capitol hill amid a new report that trump is considering a revamp of their agencies. andrea mitchell is in washington this morning. hi, andrea. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, katie. first reported by "the wall street journal," today. that the president-elect wants a major overhaul of the top spy agency, as well as cutting back the cia. this all adding fuel to donald trump's feud with the intelligence agencies. this morning, all eyes on capitol hill. after a war of words. president-elect trump, attacking the credibility of the 16 intelligence agencies. challenging their conclusion that russia tried to interfere with the election. a rare public rebuke. mike pence, not walking it back. >> given some of the intelligence failures of the recent years, president-elect made it clear to the american people that he's skeptical about

conclusions from the bureaucracy. and i think the people hear him loud and clear. >> reporter: today, armed services chairman, john mccain, who called russia's actions an act of war, will give the spy chiefs a platform to talk back. as the director of national intelligence and fbi and cia, brief the president-elect at trump tower. now, furious with trump, senior officials tell nbc news. the president-elect sided with julian assange against them. writing on twitter, julian assange said a 14-year-old could hack podesta. why was dnc so careless. also russians did not give him the info. >> our source is not the russian government. and it is not state party. >> reporter: but six years ago in a video for fox news radio,

trump said about wikileaks dumping classified material -- >> i think it's disgraceful. i think it should be a death penalty or something. >> reporter: trump's latest tweets are putting top republicans on the spot, including paul ryan not wanting to fight with the president-elect. >> last thing i want to do is commenting on every tweet or facebook post. that's not what i do. >> reporter: but blasting assange. >> and i think the guy is a sycophant for russia. he leaks. he steals data. and compromises international security. >> reporter: the top democrat on the senate intelligence committee, mark warner, suggesting the president-elect is in denial. >> i think the most important thing the intelligence community can always do is speak truth to power. and it seems like, perhaps, the president-elect doesn't want to hear those truths. >> reporter: president obama is expected to receive his own

briefing on the final russian hacking report today. a senior intelligence official tells nbc news that the president will likely call mr. trump afterwards to express his confidence in that report. how that affects donald trump remains to be seen. >> andrea mitchell. thank you. let's bring many jeremy bash. >> good morning, matt. >> i want to ask you about "the wall street journal" report in a second. i want to ask for the benefit of your inside knowledge, give me a sense of what the mood of the intelligence officials is right now and the rank and file, about being questioned, even chastised by the president-elect. >> i think they're horrified. and there's a lot of jaws that have fallen to the floor in the last couple of days. every intelligence discussion i've been in, at the cia, the pentagon and the white house, always begins with a briefing, an assessment. what are the facts on the ground? and that's what you need to defend the country from

terrorist attacks, from missile launches, from iran restarting its nuclear weapons program. and if you don't trust the intelligence professionals, you will let your guard down and we may be hit. we may be defenseless. and that's a horrifying scenario for anybody charged with protecting the country. >> the intelligence community must feel like it's living in an alternate universe, with donald trump siding with julian assange. how is assange viewed in your community? >> assange is one of the people who have disclosed so many of our secrets. he's given our secrets over to our adversaries. he's given our secrets to russia. given our secrets out to the entire world. there's nothing that the president-elect and his team is going to benefit from allying themselves with assange or vladimir putin. and i think they're going to realize, katie, i think this is going to come together here. it's got to come together in the

next couple weeks. when the president raises his right hand and takes the oath of office, in just two fridays, he will be the number one target for cyberattacks from iran, from russia, from north korea and china. he will need the intelligence community to help protect him and his team and our government. and he's going to have to rely on the intelligence professionals. many of whom are risking their lives in dangerous and tricky situations at this very hour, to collect the information that the president will need to defend our country. >> what about the contention that, hey, the intelligence community got wmd wrong, leading up to the iraq war. it's appropriate to question their conclusions. >> that was 14 years ago. a lot has changed since then. it is appropriate to challenge assessments. it's good to have a back and forth between a president and advisers. you do that behind closed doors, in the situation room. i think it's problematic to do it over twitter and even before

you get the briefing. >> let me move on to the story in "the wall street journal," talking about someone close to donald trump saying he may consider an overhaul of agencies, including the cia. perhaps reducing the ranks of the cia in washington, where there is a fear on his part, it may become politicized. moving some of those people out into the field around the world. is it a smart idea? is it needed? does the cia need to be revamped? >> the cia is not a political organization. it is comprised of nonpartisan professional intelligence officers, who have dedicated their lives, risked their lives and in some cases lost their lives to defend our country. i think it's prudent. i would advise any team to look at how our intelligence operations are arrayed around the world. if we want to move more people out to the field, that's good. i would advise any team to do that assessment. but that's different from dissing the intelligence community before you get the briefing.

>> ten seconds left. do you think the intelligence officials will brief donald trump tomorrow at trump tower, have the goods to convince him that they're right on this? >> i think we have the russians dead to rights. the intelligence community, the fbi, the homeland security, put out a report last thursday that showed which russian actors were hacking our election processes. i don't think there's any doubt the facts are unassailable here. and i think this is a conclusion that's going to leave everybody to understand that russia is not our friend. and they are a dangerous actor and a threat to our country. >> jeremy bash. jeremy, we appreciate your perspective this morning. >> thank you, matt. also in washington, the fight over obamacare is intensifying, from the president and vice president-elect mike pence. hallie jackson is at the white house this morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. the battle is back on again. donald trump, tweeting just moments ago, slamming senate minority leader, chuck schumer, as a clown.

and accusing democrats of playing the blame game in this fight over health care. don't expect this heated talk to go anywhere for a while. not in this health care fight, with the coverage of 20 million americans at stake. today, obamacare on life support. with the gop promising to repeal and replace it fast. >> the republican plan to cut health care wouldn't make america great again. it would make america sick again. >> reporter: democrats, debuting a new catchphrase, after a simultaneous showdown on capitol hill. vice president-elect mike pence rallying republicans. president obama firing up his party. >> look out for the american people. >> reporter: a source in the room said the president advised members to avoid working with republicans on a plan to replace obamacare, as they gear up for campaign-style rallies to defend the law. some arguing if republicans break it apart, they own the aftermath. >> are you prepared to own the

political fallout potentially? >> i think the most important thing for the president-elect and for the leaders here in congress is that we keep our word to the american people. the simple fact is, the american people know who owns obamacare. it's the first half of the title. it is obama. >> reporter: nationally, about 11% of americans do not have insurance. that's down from 16% from before the law was enacted. republicans argue premiums in some states are spiking. pledging they can and will come up with something better. and that when they do, the move to it will be seamless. >> as we give relief to people through obamacare, we do it in a transition that doesn't pull the rug out from anybody. >> reporter: pence, promising executive actions from donald trump will smooth the transition without providing specifics. his colleagues warning a new plan will take time. >> within six months, we should be able to put pen to paper and have a replacement plan.

we're not doing that on day one. >> reporter: republicans can tear down the law on their own, with just 51 votes needed. but building it back up could take 60, meaning they would need democrats' help. and for now, that's looking unlikely. with the bitter battle only beginning. the tricky part, figuring out how to pay for the more popular parts of the law, which are paid for now by the less-popular mandate requiring everyone to have coverage. repealing the law itself, not going to be cheap. a new report out from a thinktank, puts the price tag at $350 billion. matt? katie? >> hallie jackson at the white house. thank you. in the meantime, another emotional day of testimony in a charleston, south carolina, courtroom. at the sentencing phase of dylann roof's trial. it began on wednesday with the convicted church shooter delivering a chilling opening statement. nbc's gabe gutierrez is at that white -- courthouse. gabe, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning.

in dylann roof's first public comments about the rampage, he told the jury he is representing himself to prevent his lawyers from revealing his mental test. his openinhing short of bizarre. this morning, dylann roof will face the families of his victims again. a day after he offered no apology for killing nine black worshippars at the historical emanuel ame church. i'm not going to lie to you, he told the jury, during a brief but chilling opening statement. there's nothing wrong with me psychologically. prosecutors showed jurors a journal roof kept after his arrest. i do not regret what i did. he wrote, i have not shed a tear for the innocent people i killed. the first witness, the widow of the reverend clementa pinckney. >> i think about him every day. >> reporter: she testified that during the rampage, she heard roof say, i'm not crazy. i have to do this. prosecutors played her 911 call as she huddled in a locked office. after hearing the gunshots, her

6-year-old daughter whispered, daddy's dead? no baby, no, baby, no. her mother responded through tears. >> there's no one that has said about an unkind word about senator clementa pinckney about him. >> reporter: two of pinckney's friends also testified. they want to focus on the lives lost, not the killer. >> his life was not finished. he was still dreaming. it's been 18, 19 months now. you never get over it. >> reporter: also taking the witness stand, anthony thompson, the husband of shooting victim, myra thompson, who sobbed as he remembered the love of his life. she was everything i had. everything i ever wanted. and my life will never be the same. dylann roof has chosen not to question any of the witnesses so far. the jury found him guilty of 33 federal counts last month. prosecutors plan to call more than three dozen witnesses in the coming days before the jury decides whether roof should be put to death. katie and matt? >> gabe gutierrez in charleston

this morning. thanks. now to a really disturbing story out of chicago. a young man kidnapped and tortured. his entire ordeal streamed on facebook live. and this morning, it has led to the arrests of four teenagers. nbc's blake mccoy has more on this story. blake, good morning. >> reporter: katie, good morning not only was the torture of this vulnerable teenager posted live to facebook for the world to see, but this morning we're also learning from police that the alleged attacker was texting the victim's parents during the attack. the video is difficult to watch. some of it, too graphic to show. a young, white man, that police say has special needs, bound, gagged and beaten by a group of african-americans. one attacker, slashing his clothes and hair with a knife, while spouting anti-white, anti-trump rhetoric. >> [ bleep ]. [ bleep ]. donald trump. white people, boy.

>> it's sickening. it's sickening. it makes you wonder, what would make individuals treat somebody like that? >> reporter: investigators say patrol officers found the 18-year-old disoriented, wandering the streets of a west chicago neighborhood tuesday afternoon. and were quickly alerted to a nearby home where the attack is believed to have occurred. two men and two women also 18 years old, have been arrested. but not charged. according to authorities, the victim went to school with one of the attackers and may have gone with them willingly. >> he is an acquaintance of one of these subjects, and apparently they met out in the suburbs. these subjects then stole a van out in the suburbs and brought him into chicago. >> reporter: despite the anti-white, anti-trump rhetoric heard in the video, this morning, chicago's police superintendent is stopping short of calling this a hate crime. >> i think some of it is just stupidity. people just ranting about something they think might make a headline.

>> reporter: while community activists condemn the message. >> no matter what race, creed or color you are, we're all human. nobody needs to go through this. >> reporter: two additional videos have surfaced overnight with even more disturbing images. police expect the four individuals to be charged today. meantime, the victim has been reunited with his family and is said to be very shaken up. katie, matt, and al. >> understandably. a horrifying story of the intersection of violence and technology, right? and hate, i think. >> blake, thank you very much. mr. roker, another check of the weather. >> all right. we show you what's happening around the country right now. you can see bitter cold in the plains. we've got lake-effect snow firing up around the great lakes. and wet weather through the southern gulf coast. plenty of sunshine in the pacific northwest. but awfully chilly. we'll get to your local forecast in the next 30 seconds.

good thursday morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we're getting some clearing across the bay area and a chance to dry out. still some wet roads. we have seen a lot of heavy rain in the past 24 hours. it is down to 32 degrees in the north bay. icy spots on the elevated roadways and bridges. a high of 50 degrees. also 50 in san francisco. north bay, 52. >> and that is your latest weather. >> al, thank you so much. coming up, the unique and complicated bond between carrie fisher and her mother, debbie

reynolds, captured in a extraordinary new documentary. we'll talk with one of the oscar-winning directors behind the film. we have important information for parents. the new guidelines out this morning for how to introduce foods containing peanut products to your infants. first, this is "today" on nbc.

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means you feel bold enough to... ...assist a magician... ...or dance. listerine®. bring out the bold™ ==topvo== the bay area is getting a bit of a break from the rain today. very good morning to you. the bay area is getting a break from the rain today. water levels everywhere continue to rise. this is video this morning of the guadalupe in san jose. the reservoir is now at 100% capacity. snow really inundating the sierra. a lot more on top as well. some locations reporting five feet of snow. it shut down interstate 80 for several hours overnight. sit back open this morning but chains are required. >> now is time to prepare for

the next system moving in. we dipped below freezing. temperatures in the north bay even colder tomorrow morning. as we two through the day, 50 degrees. 50 in the north bay. it tips farther south. the area of low pressure will be moving in saturday and sunday. a quick look at your south bay drive times. 101 about 15 minutes. 87 to 101 about 12 minutes. and we are seeing some slowing in terms of your bridge drive times. westbound towards san mateo, 17. westbound 84 to san martins, 14 minutes. the metering lights are on over the bridge. thank you very much.

back in half an hour. hope you enjoy your morning.

♪ you're simply the best hi, matt lauer. it's me, sandy bullock, who is wishing you 20 years of where in the world are you, matt lauer? 20 years. that's amazing. for 20 years, i've been sitting opposite you in interviews, where i watch you drift off in the middle of me answering a question. and i, too, have wondered, where in the world are you, matt lauer? but i always come back. and i will come back to celebrate you. from beautiful new orleans, louisiana, congratulations on 20 years. and i hope you have 20, 30, 40 more, depending on if you can get the money you want in your contract and you work out all your perks. and that's what i hope for you. bye. >> that's so cute. was she on a swing? >> i think she was. on a swing. love sandra bullock.

>> you do have something special between you. that's all i have to say. meanwhile, 20 years. how are you feeling? >> i'm feeling good. it's not 20. it's 20 tomorrow. i'm in the 19th year. >> we're going to mark matt's 20th anniversary, if you can believe that, as co-anchor of "today" tomorrow. and more celebrity tributes. i can't wait for those. and next week more to celebrate here. >> next week, we mark the show's 65th anniversary. big things planned. and another former partner in crime, meredith vieira, will be back as co-host, pitching in while savannah is on maternity leave. a headline on russia's interference on the u.s. election. top intelligence officials are set to testify. and president obama will receive a briefing on their findings. and president-elect trump will

be briefed tomorrow. al is tracking storms set to impact 55 million americans in the country. parts of the carolinas expected to see paralyzing amounts of snow. that will start tomorrow. we'll get to mr. roker's forecast in a moment. and take a look at some frightening moments at a michigan restaurant caught on camera. an suv barrels through the wall, narrowly missing three customers. they were just sitting in a booth. it comes to a stop a few seconds later. no one injured in the crash. the driver who had children in the vehicle, says she may have accidentally hit the gas instead of the brake. a memorial will be held for debbie reynolds and carrie fisher, who died last week, one day apart. the service is ultraprivate. but a new documentary, called "bright lights" is giving people a look inside their unique mother/daughter bond. take a look.

>> mommy, mommy. i'm home. >> hello. >> look. you cannot keep that. it's ridiculous. it's from the early '90s when they first invented cellphon in. >> but i don't -- >> that was one of the originals. >> i don't want to buy a new one. the old phone works fine, just dandy. >> that's horrible. >> there she is. >> look, look at all the -- >> do you know how to do it? do you know how to do it? >> no. no one knows how to use those any more. >> oscar winner fisher stevens is one of the film's directors. good morning, it's so nice to see you. >> good morning. >> this film, i was crush ed by so many people when we heard the news about carrie fisher and then debbie reynolds, her mom, the very next day. when you were doing this film, i'm sure you had no idea the events that would happen after you were finished with it because it was completed in

2015. right? >> yeah, yeah. we finished the film pretty much the end of 2015 and we premiered it at the cannes film festival. carrie came and a large part of the film is debbie started actually to get ill during the filming of the movie and a lot of the film became about carrie caring about and caring for her mother. and her brother, todd, caring for her mother. and we were, needless to say, shocked at what happened. >> before i talk to you more about their unique relationship, because it was so revealing and so intimate i think this documentary. what was your reaction, fisher, because you knew them both very well, obviously. even better after doing this documentary. >> yes. i knew carrie, i'd say, very, very well. debbie, i didn't -- i hadn't met debbie before we started this. we had a mutual friend, charlie wessler that introduced carrie

and i years ago. carrie was watching her mother, like, walk down the hill and after she had just told her that i'm going to perform again, carrie, at foxwoods resort in connecticut. and carrie is like, mom, you're 80 years old. when are you going to stop? and then she had the idea to call me and my girlfriend, alexis boom, to see if we could kind of film her mother's retirement. that's what we thought the film was about. so debbie started performing and she was fine at the beginning and then it started to happen, her health. so we were quite shocked when carrie went first, obviously. >> a lot of this is about show business and the bright lights as the documentary is called and the pull of that audience and that applause. and i thought it was interesting, carrie said things about fwroeg up in the show biz family, eddie fisher and, of course, he left debbie reynolds for elizabeth taylor when carrie

was just a little girl. but talk about show business and what it was like for carrie growing up in this environment. she said one line where she said we didn't really grow up with each other. we grew up among each other like trees. she said her entire life, talking about her brother, todd, we were always getting ready for a photo-op and we shared a common weirdness. >> yeah. >> the film captures what it's like to live -- >> in hollywood at that time. >> yeah. >> and she felt like she had to share her mother with the public. she didn't have that intimate time with her mother. she was always sharing her. and that was part of the attraction for us, as well, to make this movie was to get inside of the old hollywood. >> there was so much film of them. debbie reynolds took so much video or i guess film of her family. it must have been a treasure tloef trove for a documentarian. >> yeah.

debbie had a 16 millimeter camera and she filmed a lot of footage herself. so alexa and i had to try and figure out what we were going to put into this film. >> it's kind of quintessential carrie fisher moments, right? >> yes. because she was so funny. you capture her in a manic episode. you have debbie and carrie singing together. >> they always sang together. they just started breaking out in song. that was real. >> and they lived next door to each other as we saw and kind of in this compound with all this hollywood memorabilia. i didn't realize debbie reynolds, i should have known this, was an avid selector of hollywood memorabilimemorabilia. >> she had the maltese falcon, she wanted to have a museum but she couldn't get anyone to fund it.

>> so what do you hope people will take away from this documentary? >> lexi and i -- lexi is my baby mama. we have two children. one of the reasons we wanted to make the film together is we just had our first kid. and we fell in love with their relationship, carrie and debbie'ser and mother and daughter relationship and the whole family dynamic. and we want people to take away, basically to carish their relationship wes their families. >> you can almost understand how debbie reynolds might have died of a broke b heart, having watched this documentary. >> she did. carrie loved the film and we went to the new york film festival with carrie and cannes. i'm, a, shocked and, b, grateful to let them invite us into their lives. my sympathies to billie, carrie's daughter and it's a tough time for them. >> beautiful, and very poignant given the circumstances. thank you, steve.

"bright lights" will debut the this saturday. now to al for a check of the weather. our friends on the west coast have to worry about a ton of moisture. we are going to see heavy rain making its way into central and northern california over the next 7 2 hours. heavy snow for the sierra nevada. rain and snow will start to shift to the east and continue through friday into saturday. the rainfall amounts will be staggering. some areas could be looking at and especially as you get into the mountains, 20 inches of rain or more. they're talking about rainfall amounts that they haven't seen in the last 10 to 25 years, estimated 2 trillion gallons of water before this is all over. we do get a chance to dry out before the storm system moves in. freezing temperatures in parts of the north bay. and also fog. there may be slick, icy spots on the roadways.

43 in san francisco and oakland. a view of the golden gate bridge. we dry out today and tomorrow. the rain returns saturday. finally tapers off on monday. o, and a clinical study showed it can help lower cholesterol 2x more than extra virgin olive oil. when it comes to heart-health, one thing is clear mazola is a smart choice.

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it's what you do. oh that is good crispy duck. ♪ back, now, 7:44, with really important information for all parents. just in morning, the national institute of allergy and infectious diseases is out with new guidelines on when and how infants should be introduced to foods that contain peanut products. here to break them down is nbc news medical contributor, dr. natalie azar. good to see you. >> good morning, matt. >> the headline is not some earth shaking new guideline. it's that the guidelines have been formalized. >> exactly. we had landmark studies and emerging data that has suggested that introduction of peanut-containing products, to high-risk kids can lower the incidence of developing a peanut allergy. >> we're going to break it down to three different groups.

let's start with the infants who are at high risk of developing a peanut allergy. how do you assess that risk? >> the high-risk kids are defined by those who have either an egg allergy or severe eczema. and severe eczema is defined as persistent eczema since birth, and refractory to treatments with steroids and bathing. >> what are the guide lines? >> between the ages of 4 to 6 months, not as a first food. but kids that already started solids, they should be introduced to peanut-containing foods. this has to hit home to all of our viewers. this is not peanuts. peanuts can cause a choking. we want to talk about peanut butter and other peanut containing food. >> next group, infants with a moderate risk. >> those are considered children who have something called mild to moderate eczema.

egg allergy is not part of this. those children can safely be introduced to a peanut-containing product. not a first food. but peanut at this age. >> okay. let's move on now. now, we talk about infants at low risk for developing these allergies. what are the guidelines? >> low-risk infants have neither eczema or an egg allergy. and they can be safely introduced to peanut-containing products at 6 months. like any new food introduction, what are you looking for? a rash, itching and any evidence of shortness of breath, et cetera. >> if you're going to introduce these things, sometimes you have to do it in the presence of a doctor. >> right. that goes back to the kids who are considered high-risk. they advise a consultation with an allergist. getting a skin test. and if the skin test is positive at a certain amount, the introduction of the

peanut-containing compound should be in the specialist's office, not at home. >> we're going to put these guidelines on our website for parents to check out. natalie, thank you very much. coming up on "pop start,"

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trt: 53 traff good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we will see sun mixing in with clouds today. highs reaching 53 degrees in east san jose. 50 in antioch. hayward, 54. 49 at belmont. 51, san mateo. a breezy wind. at least we have the sun. 50, mill valley. santa rosa up to 52 degrees. we are tracking the next system set to arrive saturday starting early in the morning. pretty good coverage of rain with heavier downpours expected sunday. also, gusty winds. there could be more rain in the forecast early next week. looking at the forecast, seeing milder air moving in. and rain even into next wednesday. hey there, kari.

we are seeing slowing. metering lights are on in the morning commute. 80 bay bridge, 18 minutes. 92 to san mateo, 14 minutes. and 84, about 15 minutes. 580 on to vargas road, 11 minutes. 580 to 880, 2 minutes. >> happening now, the bay area getting a chance to dry out ahead of this weekend's storm. preparations are well under way. public works teams in the south bay are preparing for possible flooding along the guadalupe river. you can see details on our twitter page. snow levels in the sierra above five feet in some locations. overnight interstate 80 was completely shut down. it has since reopened. nbc bay area app where you can

view interactive radar. another update in half an hour. see you then.

♪ ♪ ♪ it's 8:00 on "today," coming up, the future gets fast and furious. we go inside one of tech's biggest events, the consumer electronics show. for a sneak peek at the gadgets and gear that could one day be headed to your home. plus, hollywood's golden boy, we'll catch up with jimmy fallon as he prepares to host sunday's golden globe awards, preview of the glitz, the glamour and a quick game before the big night. >> the golden globes are voted on by -- >> the hollywood foreign crew. >> name one member of the hollywood foreign press. >> jacques leblanc. >> nonsense.

you made that up. and the prince and the parents. prince harry meets girlfriend megan markel's father for the first time, making her dead proud, as their relationship takes a big step forward. today, thursday, january 5th, 2017. ♪ ♪ [ cheers and applause ] [ cheers and applause ] ♪ ♪ >> good morning to all our friends in bakersfield, california. [ cheers and applause ] we're back now, 8:00 on a thursday morning, january 5th, 2017. the whole crowd on the plaza singing "sweet caroline."

why? first of all it's katie's pick for a throw-back thursday song. for a really good reason today. >> i picked "sweet caroline" because today is carrie monahan's 21st birthday. my daughter. i'm sure she's sleeping right now but if by some small chance she's awake, happy birthday, carrie. >> can i just say it was 21 years ago that we trudged through a snowstorm to go see katie in the hospital after giving birth. >> you've known them their entire lives. that's our, our tulip photo we take every year. that's ellie and carrie. there they are today. there's carrie on the left. ellie on the right. and can you believe it? carrie is a junior at stanford, she was studying in paris this fall looking very french i might add. and ellie, if you can believe it is now 25 years old and she is working in los angeles on a show called "mr. robot."

she's a writer's assistant. and look at them. i'm so proud of my girls. you know why? they're great people above all. such nice girls. >> can we put up a picture of another cool kid? this one's name is john. do we have that picture? >> oh, john? >> yes, i finally settled down, two and a half years ago, poor matt has lived through a lot of my relationships through the years. i finally found a keeper, matt. >> this is more than a keeper, this is a fantastic guy. >> john has great kids, that's allie and henry molnar. a good-looking group, right? >> was that your wedding day? >> yeah, that was our wedding day. >> i wasn't invited. but -- >> it was very small family wedding. >> howard stern and i almost crashed that wedding. >> we're going to come emerge from the swimming pool in scuba gear. they thought that would be really funny, in the middle of the ceremony. >> i'm so happy.

>> enough above that, howard, i'm glad we didn't do that. speaking of john, your husband, he's here today. >> that's right, where are you, molnar? he kind of stood up and there he is, with joel cameron. hi, john. >> hi, can katie. >> we're doing a web series of cooking fast, easy, healthy meals. >> molnar just cut his finger. >> some people say he looks a little like you. >> do you ever call him matt? >> only in certain moments. >> he's got the alexa thing. stop with the alexa. >> i love, love john. let's check the headlines on a thursday morning. here's your news at 8:00. >> good morning, we begin with a very busy day here in washington. where it's yet another face-off, donald trump versus the intelligence agencies he's set to lead. but on capitol hill, top republicans are being very

clear. they are on the side of the intel communities. russia's interference with the u.s. election will take the spotlight in a hearing over on the hill today. as the president-elect now again casts doubt on those assessments, even siding with wikileaks founder julian assange. vice president-elect mike pence giving his boss some back-up. >> given some of the intelligence failures of recent years, president-elect has made it clear to the american people that he's skeptical about conclusions. from the bureaucracy and i think the american people hear him loud and clear. >> at this point a new "wall street journal" report talks about the president-elect essentially streamlining and trying to overhaul the office of the director of national intelligence. although top transition officials tell nbc news that's overselling it. say it's really about making it more efficient. that's not the only d.c. showdown brewing by the way. another focused on the health care law. after dueling meetings between president obama and vice

president-elect mike pence on capitol hill. democrats debuting a new slogan, accusing republicans of trying to make america sick again. republicans arguing the law is so broken it needs a total tear-down. promising that when they come up with a plan to replace it, it will be a smooth transition for the 20 million americans with coverage under the law. matt? >> all right. hallie, thank you very much. now video you are going to find disturbing. surveillance video released of a police shoot-out inside a busy walmart store in chandler, arizona. police were called to the store on a trespassing call. a video shows two officers approaching the suspect, his name is mitchell oakley. he stands up, pull as gun from his pocket and starts shooting at the officers. they take cover, as oakley runs out the door. once he gets outside, he drops that gun, tries to get it back. one of the officers returns fire, killing oakley. officer joshua pueblo was shot in the face during the incident.

he recovered after spending time in the hospital. the other officer was saved by his bulletproof vest. this will be a rough winter weather day for more than 50 million americans, two big storms are moving across the country, including one that's already dumped over a foot of snow on parts of california, colorado and utah. that storm is expected to bring heavy snow to the east coast later in the week. another storm is dumping snow on parts of the midwest and will move into the northeast overnight. we'll have al's forecast coming up. something else coming up, our self-driving car is close to making a teenager's rite of passage a thing of the past. and matt's choker from wednesday. has apparently made quite the splash. >> it was a joke. then our conversation with jimmy fallon as he gets ready to host this weekend's golden globes for the first time. >> i think you turned some people on, matt. >> it was a joke. first, these messages. chalkboard.

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all right. it's 8:11. it's a great time to trend. we have hoda here. sheinelle is here. we need to explain why you were standing on the plaza a second ago. >> all right. i love these today, actually. wedding rings is an immediate signifier of that guy is taken, right? true. what about if he takes the ring off? people who do that, i do not approve. jeweler jason of beverly hills

has come up with a way to make sure everyone knows when a guy is married. his band has the word married embossed in reverse. when the guy takes a ring off, it's a red flag to anybody he's chatting up or hitting on. i think it's -- >> what about an alarm? don't they have those? >> one of the dye packs like -- >> when you steal money from a bank. >> it blows you up, right? that or a tattoo. maybe a brand. anything. >> wow. >> listen -- nothing is creepier, seriously, than a guy who takes his wedding ring off and tries to hit on people. >> you can see the tan line. there's a tan line giveaway. >> really? you have experience in this area? >> making a note that katie is in favor of branding people. okay. perfect. >> john is like, what? >> remember when you're 16? you might not. but if you remember when you were 16, were you chomping at

the bit to get your learner's permit? >> absolutely. >> you wanted to drive a car, right? >> yeah. >> you think about this? our kids may not have that experience. >> our grandkids. >> kids born now. i say that because self-driving cars are hitting the streets. uber doing it. tesla. a robotics expert is saying what many have been thinking. kids born today may not have to drive a car. henrich christensen said the cars are 10 to 15 years out. ford and gm say they will have self-driving cars on the road in five years. many speculate that car ownership will become a thing of the past. >> don't you think they need to learn how to drive? just in case? >> what if the computer goes down? >> i love driving. >> i do, too. >> think about the implications for the auto industry. what that will mean for the economy, with the self-driving cars. carrie doesn't have her license and she's 21.

as you mentioned, she's a city kid. but still. i think with services and you know, more public modes of transportation, i think people aren't bothering. i got so interested in that subject. we all wanted to hide embarrassing stories about ourselves. especially matt. one guy in new york went out of his way to do so. the owner of an upstate new york newspaper, said a local resident bought 100,000 so that neighbors wouldn't find out about his drunk driving arrest. the story was also posted -- hi. there's this new thing called the internet. >> he bought all of the computers. and everybody's phone. >> okay. you get it? have you ever been in a supermarket and you look down and there's one of the dopey tabloids that has a picture.

>> it's terrifying. remember the one that said we were in a love triangle? >> i do. my dad called me, when my dad was alive, my first year hosting the show. they had an awful story about us. is it true? i saw the thing in the newspaper. it's not a newspaper. it's not a newspaper. >> i know. >> oh, brother. >> i was hoping no one would find out about that. >> i know. i know. like my choker. great video to show you this morning. a fan at the lakers game was given a chance to win $95,000. all he had to do was make a half-court shot. amazingly -- drains it. the crowd goes crazy. he reveals he's going to buy his mom a car with the winnings. all right. not to be outdone. not to be outdone, another lakers fan makes a half-court shot, too. but look closely at that fan. that's justin timberlake. >> get out. >> yes, it is. >> who knew? >> wow. >> that's called a sexy back

board. get it? >> he brought sexy back. backboard. ha! that's comedy. >> oh, man. when you have to say, get it? >> i used to say that all the time? get it? sheinelle, "pop start." >> let's start with prince harry and megan markel may be more serious. "t he was able to meet her father. the father knew about the relationship at the start. and enjoyed meeting harry. he is, quote, proud of his daughter. and adding she is very much in love with prince harry. and the world of high fashion has been taken by storm. wednesday during the show, our own matt lauer jokingly revealed he's been wearing a men's choker. that moment has been dissected by fashion websites all over social media. people arguing for and against the men's choker.

yahoo! saying the look is fierce. "gq" which has called matt one of the best dressed on tv, disagreed with the new trend. saying it has to be topped before it catches on. >> our producers thought it would be funny. i put it on five seconds before trending. i took it off five seconds after trending. wouldn't it be funny if i opened this up and had one. >> i liked it. >> i did, too. >> i do not wear a choker, folks. >> looking at it again, in that video, i have to say, it's kind of -- in a kinky way, it's hot. >> after she brands you. >> no. >> no. i get you. >> no. >> twitter loved it. thank you. >> no. please, get over yourselves. al, you have a check of the weather? >> yes. i do. well, we've got, again, this storm system. first one brings some snow, today, into tomorrow. then, we've got a double-barrel low pressure, coming up through the southeast, bringing snow. they've canceled a lot of school

back through cincinnati, parts of kentucky, back through colorado. here's what we're looking at. the european model bringing some heavy snow along the mid-atlantic states. lighter snow as you get into the northeast. but the american model is a little more aggressive about this. from atlanta all the way into the mid-atlantic coast, we're looking at hea we are getting a chance to dry out across the bay area. here is a live look outside at san jose. the sun is coming in and we will continue to see sunshine throughout the day and tomorrow, too. it is 45 degrees in palo alto as well as oakland and san francisco 44 degrees and 31 now in santa rosa. freezing fog possible. expect highs in the south bay in the low 50s and low 50s for the east bay and the peninsula and 52 today in santa rosa. >> don't forget.

check us out on sirius channel 108. >> somebody came back with the choker. >> i wanted al to wear it. >> not so much. >> you should go. >> okay. hi. >> i thought you meant she should leave. >> we aren't doing so well. >> wow. that was harsh. all right. just three days away from the 74th golden globe awards. >> that's right. for the first time, jimmy fallon is hosting that show. and i caught up with him recently, at new york's famed rainbow room, to talk about what we can expect on one of hollywood's biggest nights. the globes have a reputation. they're supposed to be an edgier version of an awards show. >> yeah. >> and oftentimes, the hosts make fun of the celebrities. but now that you host the show, does that handcuff you a little bit? >> all of the winners will be on

my show. >> maybe. >> maybe. i read that line. i'm not so extreme, you don't know what is he going to do? you've seen my show. you've seen the monologues. i hit everybody equally in the more fun way. this one, i'm going full-on glitz, glamour, fun. we're in a really fun business. we're so lucky to be in this entertainment business. and this should be entertaining. it's going to be a party. >> i want to get to the party part in a second. i watch your monologue on "the tonight show," you're good at telling celebrity jokes. are you going to be okay looking down and seeing the person you're telling the joke about, staring back at you? >> yeah. i think there's a little buzz to that. i like that. yeah. if i make fun of -- blah, blah, blah. it's almost like -- >> who is blah, blah, blah. who is your juiciest target? who are you going to go after? >> that's classified. >> you can't tell me? >> only me and russian hackers know who i'm going to hit. >> the show is airing less than two weeks before the inaugural.

um -- >> he's going to -- by the way, i heard that trump will be live tweeting during the show. >> exactly. #unfunny, i know. are you going to go with political humor? the timing seems ripe. might we hear the name donald trump come up in your monologue? >> if it's on -- if everyone is still talking about it, yeah. >> they might be talking about it. >> not heavily political. none of my stuff is that political. there's other ways to be creative with that. >> you're known for sketches. known for games. known for musical numbers. >> yep. >> all have a place in the golden globes? >> i don't think -- it's not like -- i think the job of the host of these shows is to come out with some fun opening, have some jokes. and then, kind of -- let's go. let's give it -- they're the stars. let them do it. >> traffic cop, keep it moving? >> keep the music going good. and the food is good. you're hosting a party. >> let's play a little game.

you like games. >> i like games. >> who the heck said that? i'm going to give you a line. you tell me, which person said it. you only have four choices. ricky gervais, tina fey, amy poehler or donald trump. >> shut up you pill-popping -- >> ricky gervais. >> oh. that was like a rocket. >> not bad, right? >> number two. good evening and welcome, you bunch of despicable spoiled minimally talented brats. >> tina fey. >> two for two. only at the golden globes do the beautiful people of film rub shoulders with the rat face people of television. >> amy poehler. >> three for three. i've never seen a thin person drinking a diet coke. >> ricky gervais. >> that would be donald trump. i forgot he was in the mix. >> meryl streep is not here. she has the flu. and i here she's amazing in it.

>> amy poehler? >> buddy. >> only she could deliver that. >> you got four out of five. >> she's the best. >> i thought you would fail miserably, at the first ones. i'm so impressed, i'm going to end on two final. trivia. the golden globes are voted on by -- >> hollywood foreign press? >> very good. name one member of the hollywood foreign press. >> jacques -- >> you made that up. >> he doesn't work there anymore? i love that guy. i have to e-mail him. we stayed out of touch. >> have fun. >> i can't wait, man. >> i think he's going to be great. >> he's going to -- >> really good. he has the right attitude going in. >> that's going to be fun. but that's a lot of pressure and nerve-racking, isn't it? >> it seems like the celebrities don't have to be nervous. it's all in good fun. >> and they're drunk. >> they really are. >> al, you're going?

>> along with jenna bush hager doing the preshow. >> you can watch the gold globes here on nbc. it starts with the arrival special that al talked about. 7:00, 4:00 pacific time, hosted by al and natalie and jenna. we will be live with the highlights, the winners and the fashions the next morning. >> i'll call in. another big star, sienna miller opens up about breaking i'm ...

==topvo== 30 people are without a home this morning after fire it is 8:26. 30 people waking out without a home this morning after a fire destroyed part of an east bay apartment complex. it started about 6:00 last night at an apartment complex in concord. firefighters say two young people had to be evacuated. they were treated for minor smoke inhalation. flames destroyed three units. they say 20 adults and ten children lived in those three units. investigators have not determined the cause but firefighters say it may have started in the kitchen. some problems in palo alto? >> appears there is a fender bender out near the palo alto

area southbound along 101. we are seeing slowing. there hasn't been injuries reported but we are going to keep a close eye because we are starting to see early morning backups. as far as your peninsula drive times southbound 101 about 13 minutes. we are starting soosee slowing out there. bridge drive times seeing slight backups. >> thank you very much. we will be back with another local news update in half an hour.

♪ ♪ ♪ all the care your family needs. all connected for you.

♪ >> "i love lucy." >> robin? >> yes. >> are you getting a bat wedgy? >> you're fired. >> no one is going to pick mona lisa. >> i know. [ cheers ] [ cheers and applause ] >> we're back, now, 8:30 on this thursday morning.

it's the 5th day of january, 2017. can i show you something we just saw? >> crazy. >> hoda saw this. let's take a shot. look who is walking by the studio over there. it's meredith vieira. meredith? what are you doing? >> what are you doing? >> she's on "morning joe." >> she's on "morning joe"? >> i thought she was coming to rehearse for next week. >> i have to go. i'm freezing. >> we love you, meredith. >> that's a great way to remind people. you're with us next week on "today." >> i am? >> yeah. and we're not going to give you a mic next week, either. >> how much fun. >> bye. >> looking back at all of the halloweens. >> oh, my gosh. i know. that was so fun. i mean, i got over it by year 13. but it was so fun. and you guys were the funniest. i think the j. lo/puff daddy was

the highlight. >> what was the favorite one you did? >> i liked flying through as peter pan. i kicked some guy on the back of the head and i wiped out when i landed on the plaza. other than that -- charlie -- there you go. >> stuck the landing. >> it was really fun. i enjoyed flying. i have to say. >> we have to move on. otherwise, we have no time to cook with your husband. >> my husband, john molner and i, with the help of joel gamoran. they're upstairs. we're doing a web series where we're trying to cook healthy, fast and delicious meals, instead of going out to dinner. you never know what is in the food when you go out to restaurants. i mean, there's a lot of butter and salt and unhealthy things in it. so, we're going to do that in this half hour. we're going to talk to "live by night" star, sienna miller. we'll talk to her in the golden globes. >> and in a burberry campaign.

first, a check of the weather. al getting help today. >> i am. in our 9:00 hour, we're being taken over by "sesame street." and here's big bird. how are you? >> hi, al. i'm great. what are you doing here? >> we're going to do the weather. >> oh, the weather. >> can you help us out? >> sure. why not? i'm just walking by. >> just an eight-foot bird walking by. you look at the map, we have a lot of weather-related bird names. >> birdwood. >> bird island, where it's zero in minnesota. >> cold there. >> eagle lake in florida, where it's 75. >> feather falls. >> yeah. feather falls is a great place to visit. >> how about cuckoo, pennsylvania. very nice. we like it. you and -- some of your friends from "sesame street" will be joining us at 9:00? >> i think so. i haven't seen anybody yet.

>> abby is coming, and oscar the grouch. >> yeah. >> you don't sound thrilled. >> he would like it. he wouldn't like it. he's a grouch, you know? >> i got it. that's what's going on a good thursday morning. we have a lot of sunshine and a chance to dry out for the storm system we had just yesterday. and it will be mostly sunny throughout the afternoon. it will be very cold early tomorrow morning for the inhand areas, a freezing start and then the rain rolls back in on saturday morning with heavy down pours on sunday. also the potential of flooding before it all clears out on monday. >> don't forget. get your weather anytime you need to go to the weather channel on cable. i just took a selfie with big bird. >> can you tweet it? >> tweet it. you see what he did. >> got it. >> big bird, thank you very

much. sienna miller stars in the new ben affleck movie "live by night." sienna's character works in a spe speakeasy and is dating a mob boss, played by ben's character. >> we could leave. >> somewhere would we go? >> somewhere warm. >> i don't know much about honest work. >> i didn't say anything about honest work. we do what we want to do. we go where we want to go. sleep by day. >> sienna, how are you? welcome back. >> thank you very much. >> how were the holidays? >> the holidays were great. not relaxing. but really, really fun. >> and now, you're on the treadmill. >> now, i'm on a two-week treadmill. >> is she the kind of girl, this character, you don't bring home to mom? >> yes. 100%. >> you like that? >> yes. much more fun to play those than the people you would take home

to mom. >> she works in the speakeasy. fooling around on her boyfriend. >> yeah. >> i read a weird thing that came out of the blue about you. you like the prohibition era for stories. why would that come up? >> they made movies. just that era was fascinating. post-war, mayhem. and everything was covert and speakeasies and illegal trading. >> there's a darkness to it. an underbelly. >> that's compelling for cinema. >> and emma speaks with a heavy irish accent. do you fancy yourself to be good at accents? >> i do. yeah. it's my job. >> of course. but i mean -- >> it's my job. i just sounded cockney. >> a lot of people do not realize you were born in new york. >> i was. this is all pretend. >> did it take long to master the fake british accent? >> no. not that long. i kept it up. and everyone is fooled. still.

>> let me -- let me give you a sentence and give it to me in an irish accent, the way emma would say it. and give it in a new york accent, the way you should be talking. >> proper thick or like normal? >> like a stereotypical new york accent. i'm going to take the "d" train -- you can say this to ben. i'm going to take the "d" train up to stadium to watch the yanks crush the docks. >> i'm going to take the "d" train to the stadium to watch the yanks crush the sox. >> which one was that? >> that was irish. >> let's reset in your best new york accent. >> okay. >> i'm going to take the "d" train to -- i can't remember what it was. >> to the stadium. >> i can't do it now. >> to watch the yanks crush the sox. >> i'm going to take the "d" train up to the stadium to watch the yanks crush the sox. >> really? you like that? >> it wasn't good. >> here's one you can say to

ben. if he steps on your foot on the red carpet. >> in a boston accent? >> no. new york. i'm walking here. >> i'm walking here. >> that was good. i noticed that ben affleck -- you were with ben affleck in your first screen test ever. >> yes. the first time i went to los angeles, i was flown there to screen test with ben. >> did you get the job? >> no. i was too young or something. >> i want to roll the video. we have that. >> you're not. >> we don't. >> my god. >> we do not have that. >> my heart just skipped a pete beat. never do that to me again. >> going to the golden globes this weekend as a presenter? >> yes. >> that's on a scale of one to ten, superexcited ten? >> no. it's not how i would choose to spend a sunday afternoon. it's fun once you get through the hoopla of the whole thing. the golden globes is the most fun because you can drink. you need to at those things. and it's -- and jimmy is hosting. it will be great.

>> should be fun. i want to wish you happy anniversary. >> thank you. >> this month is the tenth anniversary of you dropping the f-bomb on our show. let's roll that tape. i have that. >> you're not allowed to roll that tape. i didn't even flinch. >> that's nice to see you. >> i'm never going to live it down. >> nice to see you, too. >> congratulations on "live by night." in select theaters now. opens nationwide next friday, january 13th. >> i'm walking here. >> back in a moment. thiss "today" on nbc. i

♪ we're back at 8:41. some of you watching might remember that i lost my husband, jay monahan to colon cancer in 1998, and became an advocate for colon cancer screening and prevention. even showing my own colonoscopy on "today." >> i have a pretty colon.

>> this is good. >> you didn't put the scope in yet, did you? >> we're doing the examination. >> reached the end of the colon. >> end of the line. we're going to come out. this is as clean as a whistle. this is a perfectly normal examination. >> so flattered. clean as a whistle. i didn't stop there. i broadcast my second colonoscopy in 2012. >> great news. everything is perfect. i did find a few things. i was surprised. one thing was this duster. i don't know what this is doing in there. batman was in there. and the last thing, this is lipstick? >> i've been looking everywhere for that lipstick. >> you're good. everything went really well. >> that was less amazing. >> he was kidding. because the new year is a time to reset our efforts to stay healthy, we decided to revisit when you need to get your butt and other body parts to the doctor. >> that's right. who needs to be screened? and what at what age should you

start? dr. felice. it's great to see you. >> great to see you. let's talk. we have a lot to run through. women in their 40s. what should they be screened for when it comes to various cancers? >> well, certainly, when we think about women, we talk about mammograms and breast cancer screening. there's some controversy as to when to start. certainly by the age of 50, earn should have a baseline mammogram. some believe it should start at 45. and some believe it should start earlier. certainly, this is -- you have a discussion with your doctor about when you believe is the right time for you to start. >> what about pap smears? >> we start cervical cancer screening younger than that. that starts when people are in their 20s and 30s. by their 40s, we believe that everyone should have a pap smear and with that hpv screening.

>> is that every year? >> not every year. some people have a screening done every year. and that should include an examination of the female parts. but at this point in time, most people believe if we do screen like that, it would potentially be done every five years. >> and colonoscopies if you have a family history. >> men in their 40s. you start talking about prostate cancer. colon cancer, as well. what do you suggest? >> for both of those, in the 40s, in men, when we talk about prostate and colon, starting screening is only for people at high risk. for colon cancer, at average risk, for 50 at men. and prostate cancer for 50. if you're at high risk, which would be a man who had a family member, like a father or a son, less than 65, you should start about the age of 45. and that's also true for african-american men, as well. >> and a baseline colonoscopy at 50, right? >> at 50, yes. >> and psa tests for men? >> it's questionable whether or

not it's effective. but for term of starting average people, at the age of 50, they should have a digital rectal exam and psa. >> and melanoma. we should mention that. >> i talk about that all the time. even with my kids. i'm on my kids about that all the time. >> you should get screened in your 40s, really once a year by a dermatologist? >> the reality is this, we don't talk about screening for skin cancer. you know, it's not actually h l voe kated to do screenings. you look at something on your body, something should be seen. but if you have a family history, two members who have had melanoma, you should be screened. if you have moles, you should be screened. but routine careening by yourself. >> 50s for women. a baseline colonoscopy at the age of 50. you can get a colonoscopy or a sigmoidoscopy. is that every five years starting at 50? ten years? people get confused.

>> if you're at average risk, and you have a careen colonoscopy, your prep was excellent. >> thank you. >> you can have the next one done if you're average risk. >> and mammograms every year, ages between 50 and 55. >> at 55, things start to change. you might be able to change it up to two years. some people might prefer to continue at one. >> back over to men in their 50s. you talk about collin cancer screenings. and talked about prostate cancer screening. how often in your 50s? >> men and women, equal opportunities. if you have a clean baseline colonoscopy, at 50, the next one at 60. in prostate screening, it has to do with the psa level. >> if it starts to creep up, you may do it potentially every year. lower, every two years. >> in your 60s. i'm about there. so, when it comes to cervical

cancer screening, pap smears, you do it in your 50s how often? >> if you do a pap smear with hpv testing, you can do it every five. >> in your 60s? >> correct. until age 65. you can do it that time. but if you -- after the age of 65, if you had nothing, no lesions on your cervix, you can stop screening entirely. >> doctor, thank you so much. >> thank you for that. >> katie has made a difference in this deal, along with the ongoing commitment with stand up to cancer, which we talked about this show, to celebrate your 60th, stand up to cancer supporter, rally health, is donating $60,000 to its research. and every dollar will be put to good use by an upcoming dream team of scientists, taking on colon cancer. >> that's so nice. and i know they're emphasizing screening, which is critically important. an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. thank you so much for that. >> thank you. and congratulations to you. next, you head into the

kitchen with your husband. >> going to cook up easy healthy meals. i hope he hasn't been drinking. first, maybe he thinks this is hoda and kathie lee. first, this is we're told to live large, but with princess cruises

your most extraordinary moments happen when you feel small. when you're completely outnumbered, overshadowed, and outshined. so what if you dared to explore this great big beautiful pond. what if you dared to feel small.

celebrate our princess anniversary sale with award winning itineraries. 7 day fares from $799. visit your travel agent or princess.com. princess cruises. come back new. ♪ this morning on "today food" delicious dinners in a dash. my husband, john, and i love to cook. or we want to learn to cook. but we can rarely find the time. we teamed up with sur la table joe gamoran, for a web series called "full plate." you can find it on the sur la table.com starting sunday on my facebook page. follow me and john, too. and hopefully, it will teach you how to prepare quick, healthy meals. what are we making? >> starting with a salmon avocado butter dish.

these guys know how to cook. he's the eye candy of the show. but let's be honest. they know how to cook. a little salmon avocado putter. you have salt and sumac. >> what is sumac? >> it was too low on the salt. he knows, sprinkle from up high. sumac is a sour spice. it's delicious. we're going to paint a little oil over top. if you can place those on the grill. just oil-side down. and, katie, you're on me about the oil and salt. >> i'm trying to reduce the amount of fat. some fat is healthy. >> yes. >> are we going to cook those bad boys. tell avocado. >> look at that. that looks beautiful. >> not a lot of fat. >> joel and i have been working. >> slaving away. >> i've been talking about colonoscopy, they're cooking. >> butter is one of the things that you crave.

but it's so unhealthy. we replaced it with avocado. a little bit of olive oil and lemon juice and parsley. and i'm going to pop on the lid. and you can see, i'll add the parsley, too. this will give you the texture. it satiates -- >> and you need a little dollop. >> this is the healthy fat that makes you feel fuller. >> this on top of the salmon. we'll do that in a bit. >> i am dying to learn how to make this. i'm excited we're doing this. cauliflower rice. >> he was blown away. >> i can't get over it. >> little cauliflower, if you grate this. john got it, it turns into a cauliflower rice. >> we have folks downstairs. we have our team tasting our food at the table. have you tasted the cauliflower? that's not a cookie. but it's got to be tasty.

and, elmo, how is the salmon? >> it's delicious. it's wonderful. >> we have to talk about the cauliflower rice. >> right on top of onions. if you can add some mushrooms. >> all of these? >> yeah. >> can i do the whole thing? >> yeah. go for it. >> after two or three minutes, it looks like this. cauliflower is really -- rissoto is creamy and cauliflower is not. we pureed some white beans. once you add the wine, and the white beans. molner, you can add the wine. >> perfect. >> we have a finish, creamy-looking rissoto. a little cheese. just a little. basil. >> we have to go.

this is quick and easy. i want to take a taste. joel, thank you. john, well played. >> a little something that joel and i cooked up. up next -- we had some tasters from "sesame st

should have been with us at the tasting table. >> i want to try one of the cookie monster plates. >> you do?

>> wasn't this look delicious? have you made cauliflower rice? >> it's fantastic. >> and the avocado butter, so healthy and delicious. >> and guilt-free. >> feed him. like you go at home. >> we're not doing that. he'll never live it down. >> do you smell the salmon, john? >> all right. tomorrow, we celebrate matt's 20th anniversaryi'm ... ==cu== we're following some breaking news in san francisco. 8:56 right now on your thursday morning. we continue to follow breaking news out of san francisco where firefighters are at the scene of a fire at a condominium complex on the back side of twin peaks. san francisco firefighters said one person suffered serious injuries and is in critical condition. we learned the fire is under

control. we have a crew on the way. we will bring you more information as we have it. the bay area is getting a bit of a break from the rain today but water levels everywhere continue to rise. this is video from this morning of the river in san jose. the reservoir is now at 100% capacity and the reservoir in los gados is 97% full. we are looking closer at rising water levels. we will have live updates. learn more about what is being done ahead of time to keep you safe. you can access live interactive radar. we will see you again in just 30 minutes with more updates.

in my future, i'm twice as likely to have a stroke. i'm at higher risk for depression. i'm 26% more likely to develop an irregular heartbeat. i have a 65% higher chance of developing diabetes. no matter who we are, these diseases can be managed or prevented when caught early on. because with better research, the right medicine, and with doctors who help keep me healthy to begin with, we will thrive.

♪ this morning on "today's take," harry connick jr., is our co-host. and "sesame street" takes over our studio. and jimmy fallon, revealing big secrets about this sunday's golden globes. >> from nbc news, this is "today's take." live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> ready, set, action. >> wow. big bird, we don't say ready, set, action. it's a morning news show. >> didn't you hear, al? it's the "sesame street"

takeover. and i'm the stage manager. that's how we're going to do it. i'm going to give you the cues. you might see me do this. that's a cue. and here's another cue. >> okay. >> and i got one more. one more cue. it's this. >> fantastic. >> range. >> i'm sorry. just got word that the director is saying, you need to switch seats. that the lighting is a little off. you need to switch seats. >> i'm sorry. that's right. it's -- you guys are fine. stay -- stay where you are. but look unhappy. >> what? >> look unhappier. >> who is the director? >> that's it, big bird. really rile them up. check camera three. >> oh, that's good. >> oh. >> wait a minute. are you on two or three? with elmo. okay. go ahead. go ahead. >> is this elmo? >> yeah. hello. >> like this. >> looking good.

>> elmo is better than most of our camera guys. >> we go on the air live, he's going to be great. >> we are on right now. >> we are? >> oh. yeah. let's do this again, then. >> okay. >> now, we're ready to go. >> looking good. looking good. looking good. >> can we have elmo every day? it's like affirmations. >> this is elmo's emmy. >> zoom in really close so i can see their pores. yeah. >> is this all we do for the half hour? >> no. we've got more. oscar is going to feel -- it's a whole hour. >> it stinks down there. >> it's an hour? >> it's an hour. >> do you smell -- i smell something in the kitchen. >> hi. >> boy, oh, boy. me so excited. we're going to make cookies. >> yes. yes. >> cookie monster, abby, we

don't have a cooking segment today? >> it's been fun. we had a terrific time. going to get my car on 48th street. bye-bye. >> woo. >> oh, my gosh. this is going to be one wild ride. >> looking good, guys. looking good. >> elmo can come whenever. we are going to have so much more from our pals from "sesame street" throughout the hour. >> this is so fantastic. so good to see you. >> happy thursday. >> yes. yes. >> what a way to start the morning. i'll be in a good mood for a week now. >> this is so great. >> oh, my gosh. >> found cookies. >> they found cookies. >> very good. >> save one for me. >> too bad there's not a cooking section. >> a little later, we have a big story about cookies coming up. you want to stay tuned. >> no can wait for that. >> in the meantime, our good buddy, jimmy fallon, ready to

host the golden globes on sunday. and we're finding out the details about the show. >> getting babysitters for you guys. maybe another time. >> it's good. he is very talented. >> you have worked with him, before? >> he's in elmo's phone. we are good friends. >> in his phone. >> for the first time in globe's history, going to start with a taped sketch. and ryan reynolds, tina fey, justin timberlake and john snow himself, kit harrington. >> and you're going to be there, right? >> yeah. i'm excited. natalie morales, jenna bush hager, going to be hosting the red carpet show before. >> i get excited about those events. see everyone come in, dressed up. it's fun. >> you know what i like about jimmy fallon, he is so much fun. in past years, the celebrities hold their breath. you don't want it to be mean-spirited. you want it to be funny.

and i think he will be entertaining. >> you worked with jimmy fallon before, right? >> he's wonderful. many times. hi, jimmy. >> let's look. we have a clip. >> we have a clip? >> a clip? >> yeah. ♪ ♪ sunny day sweeping the clouds away ♪ >> this is good. ♪ on my way to where the air is sweet ♪ ♪ can you tell me >> that's so cool. >> i love it. >> how is it like working with jimmy, elmo? >> he is wonderful. he is very silly. and his family is wonderful, too. >> that's right. they're all very nice. >> elmo is a fan. >> i want elmo to be a camera operator on my show. >> really? elmo would love to. how much you pay? we'll talk later. we'll talk later. >> if you need somebody to do this, i'm your bird. >> love it. >> i'm taking names.

i got it. >> i want to sing with you, harry. >> i love that. >> we can do a duet. >> she wants to do a duet. >> i'm up for a cooking segment. >> okay. golden globes airs sunday, 8:00, 7:00 central here on nbc. speaking of cookies, cookie monster. >> this one is for you. guess what? the girl scouts are celebrating the 100th anniversary of selling cookies as a fund-raiser. >> what? >> 100 years. >> happy day. >> and get this, they have a new flavor. are you ready for this? >> what new flavor? >> s'mores. >> i'm in. >> with the marshmallow goodness and chocolate crunchiness. yeah. >> do we have the s'mores here? >> we have them. >> why are they over there? >> two kinds of s'mores. >> oh, this is a prop. >> they're dipped in chocolate, cookie. >> oh.

oh. >> yeah. >> we love to bring some over for you, cookie. >> bring them over here. s'more cookie. >> elmo, on camera -- he's coming. >> all right. >> i'm not supposed to do this, cookie monster. but i'm going to do it. >> you be careful. >> excuse me, guys. >> put it in my hand. >> i will put it in your hand. >> yes. yes. >> what's your opinion? >> superb. nice, delicate balance of flavors. terrific. they got the ratio perfect. the marshmallow, the gram cracker, you nailed it. >> al, you stay there. we have somebody over here. >> you may have lost your seat, al. >> i thought they were going to do a birdseed cookie. but they didn't. >> maybe next year. up next, get ready to sing along to some of your favorite

tunes. we're going to play "finish the lyric" with songs that are turning 20 years old this year. after these messages. after these messages. >> why is nobody right when you feel a cold sore, abreva can heal it after these messages. >> why is nobody in as few as two and a half days when used at the first sign. without it the virus spreads from cell to cell. only abreva penetrates deep and starts to work immediately to block the virus and protect healthy cells. you could heal your cold sore, fast, as fast as two and a half days when used at the first sign. learn how abreva starts to work immediately at abreva.com don't tough it out, knock it out, fast. with abreva. with all the rush in the morning, i don't have time to hashtag my breakfast. light & fit nonfat yogurt drinks. nutrition that fits my crazy life. nine grams of protein, 90 calories, no added sugar. light & fit. do what fits you.

that i was on the icelandic game show. and everyone knows me for discounts, like safe driver and paperless billing. but nobody knows the box behind the discounts. oh, it's like my father always told me -- "put that down. that's expensive." of course i save people an average of nearly $600, but who's gonna save me? [ voice breaking ] and that's when i realized... i'm allergic to wasabi. well, i feel better. it's been five minutes. talk about progress. [ chuckles ] okay. talk about progress. [ chuckles ] everything you need to know about life, you can learn from granola. keep it simple. always be real. don't be artificial, but always be sweet. nature valley granola bars. no artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners. just good.

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and get about the business of enjoying a fantastic and full life. in the first 2 months members have lost 15% more weight than on our prior program. join for free now and lose 10 pounds on us. five, four, three, two, one. and -- cue. >> okay. here's a little constructive criticism, big bird? >> yeah. >> probably don't do that when we come up. you do that before we come up. this is one of our other stage managers. dave, can you show him how to do that before we go on? >> five, four --

>> i thought it was good, didn't you, dave? >> four. >> four. >> three. two. >> you were perfect, big bird. i take it back. >> you're hired. >> thank you. >> we start with three. you only have three fingers. >> well -- >> just give us the three, two, one. that's the problem. >> when we do it for real, then i'll -- >> we're on live now. >> i don't understand. >> yeah. that's all right. >> you could be dave. >> oh. >> back, now, with more of "today's take" and our guest host harry connick jr. >> my goodness. >> great songs are turning 20 years old this year. >> it makes you feel old. you remember earlier this week we were celebrating movies that turned 20 in 2017. all right. now, we're going to do it again. this time, with songs. and another game. play along at home. everybody can play along. here we go. finish the lyric. listen to song number one.

♪ whisper you tell me if you still care ♪ >> i know this. this is "mmmbop." >> hansen, from oklahoma. >> i couldn't remember the " "mmmb "mmmbop." >> you know more than i do. ♪ tell you what i want what you really, really want ♪ ♪ i want a until you say ah ♪ >> i can't remember that song. >> come on. >> very good. what's next? >> number three. ♪ you would take away everything ♪ >> come on. ♪ good in my life >> how do i live without you? >> i need to know. >> song number four.

>> 20 years. ♪ i promised you i'd never give up ♪ >> "if it makes you happy." ♪ if it makes you happy >> i was going to say, if it makes you happy, we can listen to songs all day long. >> very nice. >> the moment of the day. one more. ♪ everywhere i go people stop me and say ♪ ♪ 25 years old >> i know this, too. i can't remember the words. ♪ i just wanna fly >> yep. >> another bird. >> there you go. >> that was good. >> you know them. >> to all of the viewers at home, professional singers, people who do this for a living go -- la, la, la, la, baby. that's how they wrote "mmmbop."

>> a song didn't happen, like new year's eve. >> yeah. >> gosh, al, you're rough today. what did you put in the ice coffee? >> hey. how about this next one? >> 20 years. >> this is a sweet story from the sports world. cam newton's son is named chosen. and he turned 1. and the quarterback wrote him a poem to celebrate. and we'll chat. >> chosen, i'll be there when you need me. and i'm writing you this for you to see. to show you how much i love you. and what a real man is supposed to be. i lover you, son. and remember, love and be true. and most of all, be unique. and be beautifully you. >> that's beautiful. >> wow. if i weren't such a die-hard saints fan, i might have shed a tear. yeah. yeah. >> it was sweet, right? >> if i didn't know that was cam newton, i would be weeping right now. but i held it together because it's cam.

>> have you written a song for one of your daughters? >> yes and no. it's hard to explain. they inspired me to be a better person and to be happier and to look at the world differently. i think i've become a better artist for them. but it's not like i have written a song for them. >> would you do that? >> i missed the boat with one or 10 or 16 or 21. >> a special occasion. >> it's something they always have. >> how about you? >> i'm not a good -- i can't write. >> i ho would you sort of -- what's the most artistic way you've celebrated? >> i like leaving -- i like leaving notes for them in the morning. in their lunchbox. >> i love that. >> that's sweet. >> on a breakfast plate or something like that. >> speaking of turning one, you're going to celebrate with elmo. he's going to celebrate some kids who maybe are watching right now. >> that's right. i do the 100-year-olds, elmo will do the 1-year-olds. >> i love it.

we would be remiss if we didn't celebrate a holiday today. it's national bird day. >> yay. it is. >> one of the biggest birds going here in the business. >> here's my question, how big are you, big bird? >> i'm about yay high. i mean, i'm a big bird. >> you are a big bird. and you have a big nest, too. >> it's very large. but it's very comfortable. >> and for the record, you're my favorite. >> everybody loves big bird. >> thank you. that's so nice of you. so kind. >> i want to take a selfie with big bird. >> we're like this. >> i want to take a live selfie. >> i'm going to do weather. show you what's going on. we have had rough weather. we've got 55 million people, 25 states, have some sort of winter weather advisory, warning, watch out. it will be a mess over the next 72 hours. one system comes out today. goes through tomorrow. it brings snow from the plains to the midwest, overnight. some snow in the northeast.

morning rush hour could be rough. and snowfall amounts heavy in the rockies. and tomorrow, into saturday, a second round of storms coming in. and that's going to bring in heavier snow. some areas around the carolinas, could see snow good thursday morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we are getting a lot more sunshine and a chance to dry out. it's 46 degrees in san jose, palo alto. still freezing in santa rosa. highs in san francisco reacheding 50 degrees and a bigger storm system expected for this weekend. rain gets heavy on sunday. can you see that into early next week. temperatures will be milder as well. >> that's your latest weather. selfie. >> we can tweet it.

up next, elmo shares some special birthday wishes for some of our ok, let me explain. this is your tax return. ok. now, there are many right ways to fill out this tax return. and the irs will accept them all. one of them gets you the most money back. isn't that the one you want? that's the one i want. that's the one you want. mmm... you touched all these. don't just get your taxes done, amy. get your taxes won. try theraflu expressmax,nd flu hold you back now in new caplets. it's the only cold & flu caplet that has a maximum strength formula with a unique warming sensation you instantly feel. theraflu. for a powerful comeback. new expressmax caplets. nuit's earned in every wash... earned overnight. ... and re-earned every day.

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about humira. humira. what's your body of proof? smucker's celebrates today is sponsored by smucker's. >> and we are back with more of "today's take" over. >> elmo. >> our friends from "sesame street." >> good morning. >> i'm totally star struck right now. >> how great is this? >> this is so cool. >> i'm happy to be here. aren't you, oscar? >> sure. sure. >> he's thrilled. >> he is. >> he's a grouch in the morning. >> that's thrilled for him. >> all day. >> there you go. >> i get to wish birthday wishes to folks turning 100 years old or older. we decided to bring this up and give our younger audience a happy birthday. elmo, will you do the honors for us? >> i would be happy to. >> thank you. >> happy first bird day to

charlie from bakersfield, california. >> that take looks yummy. >> charlie was born two months early on new year's eve. and mom mmy and daddy say she's the happiest birthday ever. and christopher loves to watch elmo on "sesame street." >> but check out the bib. >> look at cookie. >> he likes trains, cars and being tickled by his mommy. next, a big birthday shoutout to t.j. he loves basketball and can shoot the ball in his goal. go for it, baby. oh, that's elizabeth davis, just turned 1 years old. oh, she loves playing with elmo, and dancing and learning with her big brother. hi. >> and last but not least, happy

birthday lucas from nashville, tennessee. he loves elmo so much, he dressed like elmo for halloween. that looks wonderful. happy birthday, everybody. and elmo loves you. >> that's terrific. >> all this cuteness. it's too much for me. >> can't take it? >> here. maybe this will help you, oscar. we have a throwback thursday clip when you were on "sesame street." you can see it, harry enjoying himself. >> it occurred to me. >> look at that hair. >> i know. >> people from all walks of life, all colors, all abilities, can live together. >> and i got to hang out with the "sesame street" gang. >> was kermit teaching you how to do it? >> i look like snuffleupagus. >> you really have aged well. and by that, i mean, you really aged. >> oh. >> all right, guys. thank you so much.

and still ahead, we're going to have more from the gang and helping you from getting sick this winter. all that and more, after your hey, pal. what, you got a cough this winter? you want tough love, mentholyptus halls with big time cooling flavor. or soft love. milder flavored honey halls with real honey. tough love. soft love. get the love you love. tech: don't let a cracked windshtrust safelite.plans. with safelite's exclusive "on my way text"... you'll know exactly when we'll be there.

giving you more time for what matters most. (team sing) safelite repair, safelite replace. ==sidemap== bouchard. phil. good thursday morning. 9:26. i'm sam brock. we continue to follow breaking news in san francisco where firefighters battle aid two-alarm complex on the back side of twin peaks where one person was critically injured, not far from laguna honda. that call came in after 8:00 this morning. firefighters were on the scene in a couple of minutes. one person did have to be rescued. we're told that person has been transported to st. francis memorial hospital with severe burns. again, they are in critical condition. we do know the fire is now under control and we're told that it's a three-story structure. so far firefighters have not indicated if there are other people inside the home at the time of the fire or even how it started. we have a crew on the way right now. we'll bring you more information

for our midday newscast at 11:00. the bay area getting a bit of a break from the rain before it kicks up this weekend butt but water levels rising. this is from gud lieupy reservoir. the reservoir in los catos is 97% full. snow is inundating the sierra. some locations are reporting up to 5 feet of snow, which shut down interstate 80 overnight for several hours. the roadway has since reopened. we got a look at traffic earlier this morning about 6:00, 6:30 or so, and it was slow going. chains are required there. as for how things are flowing here in the bay area, we'll say look at your traffic and weather right after this break.

good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. a lot of sunshine across the bay area. highs will reach into the low

50s with mostly sunny skies. turning chilly into tonight with freezing temperatures across the bay area. we're also tracking the next storm system set to arrive on saturday. as of now, it has shifted farther to the south. today and tomorrow still dry. let's see what's happening on the roadways. >> well, we are seeing some major backup along the 101 northbound area in santa clara. two traffic accidents. here's a quick check. your south bay drive times, northbound 101 towards highway 85, about 49 minutes. >> thank you so much. that will do it for us. we'll be back in 30 minutes with more updates. see you then.

♪ all this week, we've been helping you get through the dreary, cold months with our winter survival guide. >> we will talk to dr. natalie azar. we have three rooms, a living room, a bathroom and kitchen. we're going to figure out which spot is the germiest and the best way to get rid of the germs. >> this is good to know. >> this is your living room. the things you have here are a cup, the remote control, sneakers, children or dog toys. not sure which. which area here do you think is the germiest? >> i'm going to say the pillow. >> i say the remote control. >> harry's right. and simple solution here.

anti-bacterial wipe, daily. more frequently if you have a sick family member. >> daily? do you clean the remote? >> nobody does. >> we have the shower. shower head. loofa. soap dish. razors. >> shower curtain. >> i'm going with the handle. >> that's a great choice. but no. it's not. it's the shower head. >> wow. >> i was surprised by this, too. think about it. why? >> you're angling it to adjust it. and you haven't taken a shower. >> it's more about, it's the wet, warm, moist environment, that bacteria loves to breed on. >> i feel like i'm caught on bourbon street. >> metal ones are better than plastic. plastic gets the biofilm. the way you remedy this, spray the head. the other thing you can do, come over here is, you can soak the

shower head in white vinegar overnight. you do this every couple of months. >> okay. >> this is something i didn't know. you're supposed to replace once a year. >> didn't know that. >> really? >> i'm not kidding. i can't reach my shower head. whoever did it last. >> the door almost didn't open. >> kitchen. >> one of the probably dirtiest sites. we have, obviously, soap holder, sponges, towels, handles. what do you think? >> i'm stuck. >> i'm going to say the sponge. >> i'm going to say the soap holder. >> the sponge wins. and for similar reasons. look at the nooks and crannies in the sponge. it's wet. all of the food particles in the sink. how do you remedy this? >> replace it every two weeks. >> two weeks? >> i get -- i'm pretty meticulous about this. two ways you can do it. you can stick the sponge in the microwave for two minutes.

or stick it in the dishwasher when you wash your dishes at night. >> the sponge in the dishwasher? >> i do it all the time. >> is that the worst thing in the world because you're freaking out they're going to contaminate -- >> i tend to have a dust buster and broom out. and i get yelled at all the time. >> house plants. >> yes. >> what? >> i'm glad you remembered. house plants -- >> i didn't. >> the thing is, about humidity, we're done? humanity. house plants. green ones provide oxygen. open up your windows. that's something you do to get rid of the moist air and the humidity. >> it works. learn something every day. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> thanks, doctor. >> that was good. coming up, elmo's world and we're just living in it. dylan gets a peek you gotta go harder. come on. hey, yo brian, brian... stop, stop playing yourself. hello mr. khaled. did you have a tax question? yes, miss tax lady. i'm in the personal training game now.

the khaled exercise program. you know, shreds pounds. you feel me? i feel you. can i deduct some of the training equipment? you know this is my business, i put my own money up. yes, if it's exclusively for work. ma'am, i'm working. trust me i'm workin. climb the mountain top. hey, yo jerome! come on let's go! who who said men can't bake? who said that women can't grill? there are a lot of cooking misconceptions out there, like that one that says olive oil is the only 'heart-healthy' cooking oil. mazola corn oil has significantly more cholesterol-blocking plant sterols than olive oil, and a clinical study showed it can help lower cholesterol 2x more than extra virgin olive oil. when it comes to heart-health, one thing is clear mazola is a smart choice. america's #1 selling heart-healthy cooking oil. un poquito mas rapido, no? [instrumental music plays] [wheel squeaking] hasta luego, profesor! [pumping of bike tire]

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street" has been educating, informing and entertaining children and adults around the country. part of the appeal, this monster with his voice and contagious giggle. dylan had the pressure of watching elmo's new wonderful world. >> let's watch. ♪ sunny day sweeping the clouds away ♪ >> welcome to "sesame street." ♪ the letter of the day >> fun is encouraged and imagination is key. >> "sesame street." ♪ that's elmo's world >> reporter: for 16 years, "elmo's world" has been the last block of "sesame street." you have a wonderful world. can you describe it for me? >> elmo uses his imagination and goes into his wonderful world. >> reporter: can i have a dylan's wonderful world, too? >> of course you can. you use your imagination.

close your eyes. think of something that you really, really love. >> it's my dog, bosco. >> dylan's wonderful world. and her dog bosco. >> reporter: sesame street workshop is starting to revamp the segment. >> we're going to evolve into kids now. he is wondering about lots of things. he wonders about dancing and families and music. now, he has a smartphone. instead of being a crayon world, it is finger paints and chalk. >> reporter: how important is it to morph elmo's world into the way kids learn? >> we're trying to model into this idea of investigation and curiosity. he takes one subject and looks at a lot of different aspects of it. >> reporter: the new elmo segment talk about 18 months to create. and is, perhaps, the most

complicated production made for "sesame street." in this episode, sesame workshop wants to make sure the kindness and friendship messages are coming through. and to test drive the pilot, they are calling it expert eyes and ears. >> the 3-year-olds, they tell me how to do my job. >> reporter: but they're on to something. before the content airs, chosen material is tested to make sure children are responding to it the way it was intended. researchers monitor the kids' behavior as it plays. how does this focus group work? what are you looking for? >> we're looking for engaged behaviors. and curious to see if they're singing along, counting along, answering some of the questions. >> reporter: there will be distractions in the room. do you want those distractions and see how the kids overcome those? >> we're looking to see at what points in the show, that children start getting disengaged and look at other things in the room. and what picks up the attention again. >> reporter: let's see what they

learned. what was the letter of the day? >> "k." >> reporter: what did it stand for? >> kindness. >> reporter: yes. do you want to be kind kids? >> yes. >> reporter: overall, how would you say today's viewing went? >> i would say it went great. we saw a mix of engagement, with kids staring at the screen, responding to questions and singing along. that was great for us to see. >> reporter: another sunny day at "sesame street." where the letter of the day today was an a-plus. >> this is so terrific. you guys are all learning all about kindness and why it's so important. now, more than ever. >> yes. >> you can be kind to animals or the environment. >> the environment. >> yeah. and you got a lot of big guest stars coming up? >> yeah. we have cia. >> she taught us how to sing. she loves doggies. >> and tori kelly. >> in that movie "sing."

>> that's true. >> and zachary levi. >> he was the kindness kid. >> he was very kind. >> and james gordon? >> he is hilarious. >> that's fantastic. guys, we cannot wait for the new season of "sesame street" which premiers january 7th on hbo. thank you, guys. i'm going to go over and do the weather now. >> okay. >> one of your buddies -- i did a little special weather thing for you guys. for "sesame street." here we are. and cookie monster is joining me. we made this map just for you. >> really? >> we have toll house, california. 48 degrees. cookietown, oklahoma. 32. that's right. >> road trip. >> yeah. >> let's do it, al. me and you. >> and we have hershey, pennsylvania. and chipley. but look at this. you notice my cookie button here. >> what does that do? >> check this out. >> it's raining cookies.

hallelujah. >> forget about raining men. it's raining cookies. all right. that's what's going on around the country. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we are seeing some freezing temperatures still in the north bay and a lot of sunshine with some milder weather for the inland areas. but it will be mostly sunny throughout the afternoon, reaching 50 degrees in the peninsula and tri-valley. south bay, 51 degrees. it's much cooler than average. also reaching 50 in san francisco. 53 degrees in the east bay. we are tracking that next weather system to bring in heavy rain starting on saturday and continuing into sunday. >> that's why you're cookie monster. i can't even finish this thing. >> me admire your technique. >> thank you very much. up next, his songs say you won't let go, became a smash hit last year.

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are moments gained with excedrin. #1 neurologist recommended. [heartbeat] well this here's a load-bearing wall. we'll go ahead and rip that out. that'll cause a lot of problems. hmm. totally unnecessary and it triples the budget. we'll be totally behind schedule, right? (laughschedules. schedules. great, okay. wouldn't it be great if everyone said what they meant? the citi® double cash card does. it lets you earn double cash back: 1% when you buy, and 1% as you pay. the citi double cash card. double means double. the citi concert series, on "today," is proudly presented to you by citi. >> the same reality competition that gave the world one direction, crowned james arthur as its champ in 2012. judges told him his life would

change forever. and, boy, did it. >> james has become the best-selling british singles artist in 2016. and his album, "back from the edge" debuted at number one. "and say you won't go" is a big hit, with 200 million streams on spotify. >> how are you doing? >> thank you for having me. >> is this a dream come true? it's huge. >> for any british artist to come here and performs on shows like this, it's an honor. thank you for having me. >> what's the song you're going to do this? >> it's a song called "say you won't let go." >> all right. james arthur. ♪ i met you in the dark you lit me up ♪ ♪ you made me feel as though i was enough ♪

♪ we danced the night away we drank too much ♪ ♪ i held your hair back when you were throwing up ♪ ♪ then you smiled over your shoulder ♪ ♪ for a minute i was stone cold sober ♪ ♪ i pulled you closer to my chest ♪ ♪ then you asked me to stay over ♪ ♪ i said, i already told you i think that you ♪ ♪ should get some rest ♪ but i knew i loved you then but you'd never know ♪ ♪ 'cause i played it cool when i was scared of letting go ♪ ♪ i knew i needed you but i never showed ♪ ♪ i wanna stay with you until we're gray and old ♪

♪ and just say you won't let go just say you won't let go ♪ ♪ i'll take the kids to school i'll wave them good-bye ♪ ♪ i'll thank my lucky stars for that night ♪ ♪ when you looked over your shoulder ♪ ♪ for a minute i forget that i'm older ♪ ♪ i wanna dance with you right now ♪ ♪ and you look as beautiful as ever ♪ ♪ and i swear that every day you'll get better ♪ ♪ you make me feel this way somehow ♪ ♪ i'm so in love with you and i hope you know ♪ ♪ darling your love is more than

worth its weight in gold ♪ ♪ we've come so far, my dear look how we've grown ♪ ♪ i wanna stay with you until we're gray and old ♪ ♪ just say you won't let go just say you won't let go ♪ ♪ i wanna live with you even when we're ghosts ♪ ♪ 'cause you were always there for me ♪ ♪ when i needed you most ♪ i'm gonna love you till my lungs give out ♪ ♪ i promise till death we part like in our vows ♪ ♪ so, i wrote this song for you now, everybody knows ♪ ♪ that it's just you and me

until we're gray and old ♪ ♪ just say you won't let go just say you won't let go ♪ [ applause ] >> james arthur. thank you so much. >> yeah, man. >> that is beautiful. what a beautiful story. >> i want to live with you, even when we're ghosts. that proves you're dedicated. if i saw a ghost, i would be out of there. >> that is so beautiful. the album, "back from the edge," back now. and we're back in a moment. first, this is "today" on nbc.

♪ that's pleasant. >> we want to thank -- >> wow.

nightmares. >> that was a dry cookie, i'm going to tell you. harry, thank you. and we want to thank all of our "sesame street" friends. you were fantastic. aw. what do you have coming up? >> we have deacon from nashville with us. that's going to be great. we have vivica fox. she's going to be here. the girls from "the skim." we have ambush makeovers. >> that will be great. "sesame street" will premiere january 7th on

it will be a cool day with a lot of sunshine, especially for the south bay. some clouds mixing in elsewhere. 51 degrees will be the high in san jose. through the east bay, danville, up to 49 degrees. walnut creek, 51. 51 for livermore.

for the peninsula, san mateo, 51 degrees. daly city, 50 degrees. the north bay will be up to 53 degrees in sonona. let's get an update on this morning's commute. >> hi, kari. we are starting to see some fender-benders out on the road. right now the biggest headache is on northbound 101. they did report some crashes earlier in the day but it appears they are starting to clear those out. we should get better drive times out there. still seeing some delays. northbound 101 towards highway 85, 37 minutes. it's getting better. northbound 280 to highway 85, nine minutes. 85 to 101, about 27 minutes. all in all, the roads are seeing is that early morning traffic commute get a little heavier so you may want to take some extra time on the roads. >> thank you. happening right now as kari just mentioned, a lot more rain

headed this way. x nbc bay area is putting our entire news team on standby. you can download our nbc bay area app. interstate 80 was shut down overnight. it's reopened and chains are required.

♪ from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> hey, everybody. welcome. it is thirsty thursday,anuary 5th, 2017. jenna bush hager is here looking fine as kathie lee enjoys some time off. that song is called "night bus." it's by gabrielle. we have a fun, fun show today. >> yes, we do. >> a lot of man candy. >> we do. >> some exotic dancers. i mean, who doesn't like that. vivica a. fox has this show called "vivica's black