we're having this event just a few weeks after the horrible terrorist attack we experienced on halloween. there is no credible and specific threat against new york city at this moment. there is no credible and specific threat against the parade. >> no present threats butn unprecedented amount of security to protect the millions of parade watchers expected to descend onto and into new york city just hours from now. guilty plea. the former team doctor for usa gymnastics admits in court to sexually abusing several children. as a prominent olympian comes forward to accuse him. a whopping 164 million americans are about to shop online or at the stores themselves. we've got the info smart shoppers will want to know.

and why the favorite spice could just be the thanksgiving naft buster you've been searching for. a turkey day edition of "early today" starts right now. good being with you. i'm frances rivera. >> and i'm richard lui. the annual macy's thanksgiving parade officially kicks off the holiday season in just a few hours right here in new york city. 3.5 million folks are expected to attend the parade, and security is fighter than ever. the parade coming less than one month after that truck attack that killed eight people in lower manhattan. >> wednesday new york city mayor bill de blasio stressed the new layers of security. >> there will be a very strong presence of the nypd. stronger than ever in fact. i want to emphasize as the most important thing i'll say, there are no credible and specific threats against new york city at this time. there are no credible and specific threats against these events. >> dozens of sand-filled sanitation trucks and police sharpshooters will be stationed around the parade route, but officials say visitors should not be deterred. this year's parade will feature a star-studded cast of

performers and of course the massive balloons and the floats. hundreds of lucky spectators got a first peek wednesday as they were inflated. four new characters are debuting this year including olaf from the disney hit "frozen." you've got dr. seuss's grinch. it's certainly a lot to enjoy. >> it's fun to see the kids' faces when they're watching those things being blown up. the former doctor accused of molesting girls while he worked for usa gymnastics has pleaded guilty to multiple charges of criminal sexual conduct in michigan. larry nassar admitted to abusing young gymnasts under the guise of treatment and now faces at least 25 years in prison. among the more than 130 women and girls who have accused nassar here of molestation, multiple olympic gold medalists included. nbc's stephanie gosk has more. >> and it's a gabby gold! >> reporter: three-time gold medal winner gabby douglas now adds her name to a list more than 100 long. accusing larry nassar, the former doctor for usa gymnastics of molesting her.

shack sxld looking weary nassar admitted sexually abusing seven children in michigan, part of a plea deal that means he will go straight to prison. >> and i pray the rosary every day for forgiveness for their -- i want them to heal. >> reporter: the judge told nassar he can expect to spend the rest of his life behind bars. >> you used that position of trust that you had in the most vile way, to abuse children. >> reporter: one of his most high-profile patients, douglas writes in part, "i didn't publicly share my experiences as well as many other things because for years we were conditioned to stay silent and honestly some things were extremely painful." she's the latest decorated olympic gymnast to accuse nassar, joining mckayla maroney and aly raisman. >> i think he's a monster, and i think it is so disturbing to me what he did to me and so many other people. this is so much bigger than just me. >> reporter: douglas weighed in on nassar for the first time last week. in response to raisman, she posted online about the subject

of abuse. "however, it is our responsibility as women to dress modestly and be classy." the comment drew quick criticism. even from her own teammate simone biles. on tuesday douglas said she too was abused and that "i know that no matter what you wear it never gives anyone the right to harass or abuse you." nassar has not been charged with assaulting any olympians, but among the accusers in michigan there is relief. >> today i am grateful for the army of women that has stopped a pedophile. >> stephanie gosk, thank you for that. the search continues this morning for three u.s. service members missing after a navy transport plane crashed into the water off the coast of japan. eight people aboards the plane were rescued alive, but for the navy 7th fleet this is just the latest in a series of often deadly accidents. nbc's alli arouzi joins us from london. what more do we know about this? >> reporter: good morn k, frances. rigorous and far-reaching search operations continue for the

three sailors following the crash of the c-2 transport plane in the philippine sea yesterday. a fleet of warships have joined the "uss ronald reagan as well as scores of helicopters and planes combined with the japanese navy to find these missing sailors. their efforts have been going on through the night and they've covered some 320 nautical miles as of this morning. now, the u.s. navy has said that their entire focus is on finding all of the sailors and that their efforts will be relentless. next of kin notifications to inform families that their sailors' whereabouts are unknown have been done. but their names will be withheld for up to 72 hours in accordance with u.s. navy policy. but frances, this is going to be a very anxious thanksgiving for the families of these missing sailors. at least on the positive side, of the 11 people who went missing 8 have been recovered and transferred to the "uss ronald reagan for medical evaluation and are said to be in

good condition. the navy said that the incident would be investigated. but as you mentioned, frances, this is the latest in a string of accidents this year with the two worst incidents happening this summer when the "uss fitzgerald" was hit by a civilian freighter, killing seven sailors, and a month later the destroyer "uss mccain" collided with an oil tanker near singapore, leaving ten sailors dead. back to you guys. >> certainly leaving so many questions on how that can be prevented. kaly, thank you. the house's longest serving member has no plans to resign after allegations of sexual misconduct. a lawyer for michigan representative john conyers said in a statement the allegations against conyers are "without merit." add field goal people were required to resign over allegations a lot of people would be out of work in this country including the president. conyers admitted this week he reached a set wmt a woman who accused him of sexual harassment but he said the settlement was not an admission of guilt and he denies the allegations.

the house ethics committee says they are investigating. another congressman is also refusing to step down after a lewd photo of him surfaced on the internet. tx text representative joe barton apologized for the nude photo of him shared anonymously on twitter. he said he originally shared the photo with a woman he had a consensual sexual relationship with prior to his divorce. he said in a statement, "i am sorry that i did not use better judgment during those days, i am sorry that i let my constituents down." the baltimore police commissioner side the detective fatally shot in the line of duty last week was a federal witness against fellow officers. commissioner kevin davis announced that detective shawn suter was killed a day before he was set to testify in a federal grand jury investigation involving some baltimore police officers. the commissioner says suter was not the target of the ongoing investigation. >> there is no information that has been communicated to me that detective suter was anything other than a stellar detective,

great friend, loving husband, and dedicated father. >> commissioner davis also says there is no connection between suter's murder and his status as a federal witness. well, it may be warm in some places but there's also some nasty weather to talk about. heavy rainfall in washington state is causing some heavy flooding along multiple rivers there. state police in arlington say that three area rivers have all spilled their banks, washing out roads, high waters are also expected through the holiday weekend. we want to turn now to meteorologist bonnie schneider with a look at our thanksgiving day forecast. got a lot of traveling out there. parade watching and a lot of eating too, bonnie. >> a lost eating. good weather for that. and frances and richard, you mentioned washington state. that's another place we'll be watching for not the best travel weather today. soaking rain is expected. the rest of the country looking quite mild and really nice for this busy thanksgiving. there are some exceptions, in the southeast in florida we could see airport delays into ft. lauderdale, miami, jacksonville. if you're driving look for heavy rains and thunderstorms.

that will be along i-95, i-10, along the panhandle, most of it in the central area of florida. that will stick around for black friday as well incidentally if you're going to be traveling. the parade weather looks terrific. we've got really nice conditions in new york city. it will be cool. so bundle up if you're heading out there. mostly sunny skies. not too windy.and. we'll look for a high of only 35 in bangor and 39 in portland. so cold in new england but looking good as we get closer to black friday. watch out, though, for? strong winds. i'll talk more about that coming up. >> bonnie, thank you. here's one for the record books that we do not suggest you try at home. you're seeing a world record in the making as 50 members of india's special army group known as the tornadoes jump aboard that modified motorcycles.

it took the record breakers six months of precision training. also maintaining a strict diet. >> diet? >> and three attempts to accomplish that 3/4-mile ride. it's surprising but it makes sense. >> that is a commute. that is a commute with good gas mileage. all right. just ahead, it might just be the most expensive thanksgiving weekend travel package ever created. we'll have those details. streng. thanks for giving victor the energy to be the rowdiest fan. and joseph, the ability to see monsters. when you choose walgreens, you choose to make a difference... like how every vitamin and flu shot you get at walgreens helps give life-changing vitamins and vaccines... to children in need around the world and here at home. so, really... happy thanks for giving! walgreens. at the corner of happy and healthy. ♪...from far away. but they ♪honly see his wrinkles.♪..♪ ♪he's gotta play it cool to seal the deal.♪

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are angioedema, low blood pressure, kidney problems, or high potassium in your blood. ♪ tomorrow, tomorrow... ♪ when can we do this again, grandpa? well, how about tomorrow? ask your doctor about entresto and help make tomorrow possible. that fireball racing across the sky tuesday night. the three-second flash is believed to be a meteorite. fireballs happen in japan once every several days but they're not easily witnessed, especially during daylight hours. but who knew they happen so often in this part of the world? >> i was thinking transformers for just a couple of seconds there. this long thanksgiving weekend is about more than family, friends, and food. it's also about scoring the best deals evidently for many of us. and this year retailers struggle to compete with online merchants as usual. they have a new strategy, though, to get you out and into

the door. nbc news's business correspondent jo ling kent has details from wayne, new jersey. >> reporter: richard, so much pressure is on retailers to deliver this holiday season, especially these traditional brick and mortar stores. they're rolling out the red carpet and deep discounts that you should know about. the thanksgiving rush is about to begin. 164 million americans expected to head out or get online to find deep discounts this holiday weekend. for the first time this year shoppers say they'd rather spend online than go to a store. to lure you back, retailers are rolling out dramatic deals but only if you show up in person. jcpenney is giving away $500 coupons for purchases of 500 bucks or more in the store. $100 coupons if you spend 100 bucks or more. macy's is offering shoppers in their stores a rebate to get ten items for free. and target granting early access to black friday deals to those who come in. >> having foot traffic in the

stores is easier to sell additional items. but i think they also understand that they have to be where the consumers are and quite frankly consumers are going more and more to online shopping. >> reporter: and if you want to start shopping, walmart will keep 24-hour stores open. but thanksgiving deals won't kick in until 6:00 p.m. target and sears also open after dinner-time. macy's 5:00 p.m. along with toys "r" us and best buy. but is it you want a three-hour head start, jcpenney opens at 2:00. retailers pulling out all the stops to win customers back. all these big holiday discounts come as retailers attempt to recover from more than 6,000 store closures this year alone. some malls are already expecting strong turnout. this mall, willowbrook, says it expects a million shoppers to come through this holiday season. richard? >> jo ling kent, thank you so much. and evidently, wear your running shoes. >> or maybe some boxing gloves too. because we've seen people get into it when it comes to those

doorbusters. >> so true. if you're looking to celebrate thanksgiving in luxury one new york city restaurant may have the perfect thanksgiving package for you. here's the deal. old homestead steakhouse in new york city is pulling out all the stops with their $76,000 thanksgiving package. especially when it comes to the turkey. that turkey costs $105 a pound. >> what we focused on is use k the most expensive ingredients that we possibly could find from all over the world. >> okay. so truffle. maybe some diamonds in there too for that amount. >> actually, yeah. >> here's the extra bonus. it also includes four tickets to see hamilton, a $7,500 shopping spree on fifth avenue, two-night stay at the mandarin oriental hotel overlook columbus circle and central park. and you saw that watch. that's to top it all off. that ulis nadar watch that costs over $20,000. and look at that. caviar in that too. hey, i'm happy with a little, you know, tv dinner of some

turkey and -- >> i want to see this turkey. like you were saying, that turkey that's so expensive per pound. >> it's got to be. the truffle and everything else that's in there too. maybe the stuffing is caviar. >> yeah. what a dinner. just ahead, the balloons, they're inflated. but how does macy's build a brand new old favorite? a fascinating behind-the-scenes look, next. hs of chemo. but i don't want to talk about months. i want to talk about years. treatments have gotten better, so... i'm hoping for good years ahead. that's thanks to research funded by the american cancer society. the same folks giving me free rides to treatments, insurance advice, and a place to stay during chemo. i need that stuff like you don't know. and now that you do, please give at cancer.org. sure smells amazing. even in accounts receivable. new gain botanicals laundry detergent,

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pumpkin pie, stuffing, sweatpants. it's a time for family. but even in the best of years political differences can make things tense. and this is not the best of years. so if you're concerned about conflicts over the dinner table, watch how much you have to drink. i recommend either no drinks or all of the drinks. it's really -- [ applause ] karate yes or karate no. it's really that 2 1/2-drink middle ground where uncle fred starts asking, well, why don't we have a white history month? >> it is all or none. so bottoms up. >> all in. that's right. all in. there's probably no bigger sign that the holiday season is about to begin than the filling of the balloons for the macy's thanksgiving day parade. >> the annual ritual took place wednesday culminating in a process that takes most of the year. nbc's kevin tibbles takes us behind the scenes.

>> reporter: since 1924 the macy's parade has ushered in the holidays with those magnificent balloons. john piper calls himself chief balloonatic. >> we start with sketches and renderings and computer drawings. but ultimately we go to a 3-d clay model. >> reporter: his staff at this top secret factory has spent a year creating the meanest, greenest balloon this side of whoville. >> except it's going to be huge. >> huge! humongous. he's a mean one. >> he is. >> reporter: to become the grinch each panel is precisely cut and glued so it will hold the helium. gloria simmings has been doing it for 30 years. >> is it work of art and the heart? >> yes. definitely. >> reporter: then all the bright green paint you can muster is brushed on with care. slowly but surely mr. grinch is ready for his test flight. with trusty dog max perched on

his back. and as the big day approaches, john piper marshals the troops. ropes at the ready, handlers hang on. one for dear life. >> am i going to blow away? >> of course not. you're going to have fun. >> oh, yeah, fun. >> reporter: he may be green and he may be mean, but this grinch isn't going to steal anything, except children's hearts. kevin tibbles, nbc news, meadowlands, new jersey. ♪ he's a mean one >> mr. grinch. that's just one. olaf is going to be out there. so many floats. >> so much fun. >> still ahead, a good reason to have that extra cup of coffee or two in the morning. you're watching "early today." ♪ silent night ♪ holy night ♪ sleep in heavenly peace

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although it does make things a little different around here. join st. jude's fight against childhood cancer. watch st. jude on the today show all thanksgiving week. great travel weather for this thanksgiving. but how about for black friday? you may have some travel trouble spots to contend with, especially toward the east and maybe even into the northwest. florida's one place we're going to be dealing with rain. so watch out for downpours there today and tomorrow, especially in south florida look for rain all the way i would say from ft. lauderdale to naples. frances? >> bonnie, thank you. some of you up early cooking. still ahead we've got the list of favorite thanksgiving day side dishes you may be making right now. so did yours make the cut? and also, the spice that's being called a fat-burning champion. we'll have more next. happy thanks for giving! thanks for giving lien the strength to outrun her brother. thanks for giving victor the energy to be the rowdiest fan.

and joseph, the ability to see monsters. when you choose walgreens, you choose to make a difference... like how every vitamin and flu shot you get at walgreens helps give life-changing vitamins and vaccines... to children in need around the world and here at home. so, really... happy thanks for giving! walgreens. at the corner of happy and healthy. if you've got a life, you gotta swiffer

well, needless to say, better get ready for a full day of football and turkey. the nfl kicking off at 12:30 eastern with the vikings in detroit. then if you've still got some energy the chargers travel to dallas in the late game between nfc east rival new york giants against the washington redskins. >> you've got to pace it out with that tryptophan kicking in and the afternoon naps. >> chips, soda, lots of beverages along the way that will keep you definitely -- >> then you do a redo. >> so much fun. as the investigation moves forward into russian meddling, facebook offers plans to offer you a tool through its portal knits help center to help you find whether you liked or followed fake content from russian bots. the company says the tool will be rolled out by the end of the

year. posts from the kremlin-linked internet research agency reached an estimated 150 million people during the 2016 election. so helping you out through all the fake news. >> yeah. with all the debate in d.c. lots of folks watching that. another big endorsement, by the way, for the benefits of drinking coffee. we do a little bit of that right here. a british study finding that drinking three or four cups of coffee each and every day is associated with lower risk of death and heart disease compared with drinking no coffee. the study also finding coffee is tied to lower risk of? cancers as well as diabetes, depression, liver disease, and dementia. >> i think they said a similar thing about red wine. so i'll make up for it. >> i wonder what happens when you drink eight cups? which is more like what we do. or at least i do. >> maybe the reverse. but who knows? >> you can fly. >> there you go. well, a turkey may be a thanksgiving staple but the holiday meal wouldn't be complete without these. of course mashable ranked the top 11 favorite side dishes. coming in first place, of course cranberry sauce.

followed by mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, then macaroni and cheese. coming in sixth place rolls, followed by sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, cornbread, homemade cranberry sauce. of course salad came in last. i would say why even bother? >> yeah. i agree. >> it ends up wilted on the side. >> so mashable certainly coming out with those lists. i would agree with nap. >> number 3 and number 5 are my favorite. if you're worried about gaining extra pounds from eating all that at your holiday feast, be sure to bust out the cinnamon evidently. researchers from the university of michigan, go blue, finds the essential oil that gives the warm spice its distinct flavor also turns up the heat on fat cells. the oil acts directly on the cells themselves, causing them to burn energy. and while more study is needed, researchers hope that cinnamon could be used as an alternative to drugs to help combat obesity. >> my intake of the cinnamon is going to be what i put in my pie. my pumpkin pie last night. that's how it's going to come

in. happy thanksgiving, everybody. i'm frances rivera. >> and i'm richard lui. thank you for watching "early today." the news continues right here on nbc and our nbc stations i love you, basement guest bathroom. your privacy makes you my number 1 place to go number 2. i love you, but sometimes you stink. febreze air effects doesn't just mask, it cleans away odors. because the things you love the most can stink.

and try febreze small spaces to clean away odors for up to 30 days. breathe happy with febreze. live pictures from downtown san francisco. happy thanksgiving. are you up because you're getting the bird in the oven? live pictures from downtown san francisco looking clear and mild so far this morning. thanks for joining us. i'm kris sanchez. >> and i'm scott mcgrew. here to tell us about pretty good weather for thanksgiving. >> pretty good weather. have to get through a little rain through the north bay first. scattered showers. and activity in ukiah. good news. something you can see right now on your monitor, on the doppler radar. moving conveyorly quickly and will kind of bring on again/off again showers. you can see rain