enjoy your day. see you back here at 11:00. . good morning. breaking overnight, no more. alabama delivers a stunning once-in a-again racing upset. roy moore loses, the democrat doug jones projected the winner in the hotly projected senate race. >> i don't knowhat to say. >> but moore refuses to concede. >> let's go home and sleep on it. >> this morning the major implications for both parties and the president over the line, president trump under fire for a tweet saying that new york senator kirsten gillibrand would do anything for a contribution. >> it was a sexist voice.

>> your mind is in the gutter if you read it that way. >> straight ahead the senator is with us for an exclusive live interview bitter blast, bone chilling cold, snow taking aim at 25 million people from the mid-west to the northeast, al is on it. that, plus holiday overload, the delays that have millions still waiting for their cyber monday packages to arrive a 6-year-old using youtube to make millions. and royal show of force! princes william and harry attend the newest "star wars" premier and take the red carpet by storm trooper. today, wednesday, december 13th, 201 2017. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> good morning, everybody, welcome to requested today. request itself nice to have you with us on a wednesday morning. >> this was a surprising result, a stained defeat for republicans and president trump.

>> it's a political earthquake, roy moore edged out in that special senate election by the democrat, doug jones, once considered to be a long shot in the race t. margin was razor thin, leading moore to end his night, refusing to concede. so will there be a recount? we have team coverage this morning, beginning with gabe gutierrez in montgomery. good morning to you. >> reporter: savannah, good morning, for the first time in a quarter century, alabama will be sending a democrat to washington. the republican senate majority will be now razor thin 51-49. and this morning the president is already trying to save face, tweeting a short time ago the reason he originally endorsed roy moore's primary opponent luther strange is he knew he couldn't win the general election. roy worked hard, the president said, but the deck was stacked against him. this morning, a seismic political shift. a democrat is the apparent winner and the next senator from ruby red alabama. >> we have shown not just around the state of alabama, but we

have shown the country the way, that we can be unified. >> reporter: overnight, doug jones pulling off a stunning upset. >> congratulations. everybody feels great today. >> after a frantic scramble to get african-american voters and moderates to the polls. >> i think i have been waiting all my life. now i just don't know what the hell to say. >> reporter: in a brief somber speech to his supporters, roy moore refused to concede and even raised the possibility of a recount. >> when the vote is this close, it is not over. >> reporter: the horse race was surreal. for weeks, the headlines doll nated by sexual misconduct allegations against moore t. former judge repeatedly denied claims that he molested teen girls decades ago, one as young as 14. >> this is simply dirty politics. >> president trump tweeting a rare congratulations to a democrat for a hard fought victory, adding the republicans will have another shot at this

seat in a very short period of time. it never ends. the president also backed the losing candidate in the republican primary here and now this stinging defeat for moore, who mr. trump only had officially endorsed last week. >> get out and vote for roy moore. moore's loss also a rebuke for former white house chief strategist steve bannan, after campaigning for roy moore twice this month, left quietly overnight. moore supporters furious with the establishment republicans that they feel abandoned him. >> i feel this is a beginning of a revolt by conservatives within our own party. >> if a republican is getting 56% of the vote in shelby county, that is a kas that tropical wave for a republican in alabama. >> reporter: as the drama unfolded on live television. regina johnson, it was personal. >> i think we got it. whew, that's it. it's official. >> reporter: she is one of the

woim women who accuse moore of unwanted sexual advanced, admitting he groped her in his law office in 1981, when she was 28. >> i feel speaking out will be differenced, we won't be slensd any more. >> reporter: as for a possibility of a recount, roy moore suggested that is highly unlikely. in order for a recount to kick in, the margin of victory would need to be less than one--and-a-half of one percentage point. he topped roy moore by three times that margin, savannah, and hoda. >> thank you so much. conduct todd is with us. now moderator of "meet the press." chuck, a democrat won a senate race, you haven't set it how'd he do it? >> you had to have republican disunity. >> that helped. he had massive democratic enthusiasm. in many ways we saw in alabama where in virginia the blue

numbers turned out higher than the red areas. that's why early on in the night, it looked lierk everybody is thinking, oh, boy, this is way alabama breaks, moore will narrowly win. instead you realize, no, the suburban vote essentially these moderate republicans did show up and they voted against roy moore. whether they voted for jones or not, i don't know. they certainly voted against moore. >> how important were women in this race, do you think? >> i think women -- there was a gap. african-american won and roy moore won white women by a very big margin. look, i think it had -- the issue, itself, had an impact with the suburban voter. i was down there, the people in mobile, birmingham and huntsville, the three big cities. >> now, republicans have to ask themselves, is this a candidate that is flawed or is this a sign of what can happen in the 2018 mid-terms? >> first of all, donald trump is a political toxin, period.

look at the year throughout, this is not a one off. if this started in montana, in kansas, in georgia. democrats didn't win them but they were over performing by ten and 15 points democratic enthusiasm, all of a sudden virginia, the big explosion and a win. now you see in alabama. if trump can't get a 50% job approval in alabama. if he can't carry over his, every person in the country needs to wak up and fear for their political lives. >> we appreciate it. >> another big talk for president trump's controversial tweet, aimed at kirsten gillibrand, that suggested the president suggested she would do anything for campaign contributions. the senator labeling the attack a sexist smear. we will have a live interview with her in a moment. first, here's peter alexander. >> reporter: the president

routinely lashes out on twitter, critics say the sexist targeting kiersten gillibrand went over the line, they highlighted the attack on gillibrand, arguing president trump showed he is in the fit for office, reading, quote, rock bottom is no imped imt for a president who can always find room for a new low. this morning ago ens the backdrop of the "me too movement" backlash for his attack on senator kirsten gillibrand. >> it was a sexist smear attempting to silence my voice and i will not be silenced on this issue. neither will the women who stood up to the president. >> reporter: the president earlier tearing into gillibrand on twitter after she called for him to resign amid renewed accusations of sexual misconduct, mocking the new york democrat as someone who would come to my office begging for campaign contributions not so long ago and would do anything for them. democrats rushing to defend

gillibrand, elizabeth war reason accusing the president of shut shaming. he ignored the chance to glorify. >> what did you mean when you said -- >> reporter: his press secretary disputed the tweet was sexually suggested. >> only if your mind is in the gutter would you have read it that way and so, no obviously, he was talking about political partisan games that people often play and the broken system that he's talked about repeatedly. >> for her part, gillibrand has become an outspoken democrat against sexual harassment, the first to call for al franken to step down. earlier, he brushed off a renewed claims against him, what he calls false fabricss and stories, allegations he dismissed as a candidate. one former accuser is again alleging the president groped her if a concert in 2003. >> i demand he is subjected to an investigation by the ethics committee. i think it's important that we

hold this man to the highest of standards. >> reporter: she added her have is to a growing chorus. more than 100 house democrats are calling for a congressional inquiry, several senators also on board t. white house calls the accusations politically motivated, arguing no investigation is needed. >> these questions have been asked and answered. we are ready to move forward and focus on the questions of the day that the american people have. >> reporter: president trump also called his accusers, women who i don't know and/or have not met. but that list includes a contestant, in one of his beauty pageants. a reporter that interviewed him and a contestant from the" apprentice." still the white house says he was referring to three women who spoke out earlier this week. >> peter, thank you, senator gil strand with us now. senator, good morning to you. >> good morning, how are you? >> i'm well, thank you. let's talk about this tweet from the president yesterday. he said you had not long ago come to his office quote begging for campaign contributions and

added you would do anything for them. let me be blunt about it. did you interpret that tweet as a sexual res spit, that you would exchange sexual favors for campaign cash, is that what the president said about you? >> certainly that's how i and many people read it. it was a sexist smear, intended to silence me. and i'm not going to be silenced on this issue. i've heard the testimony of many women on numerous accusers. i believe them. and he should resign for that. i think congress should do an investigation because we need accountability and women aren't going to be silenced right now. as we saw in alabama, women are not going to be silenced, african-american women are not going to be slensd. and they came ou >> i want to go back to this tweet, the white house press secretary said anyone who interprets this in a sexual manner should quote get their mind out of the gutter. is your mind in the gutter if you took it that way?

>> no. >> they also point out that the president has tweeted this kind of thing or said this kind of thing about men in the past. for example, i recall in 2016, he said that mitt romney had come to his office in 2012 begging for an endorsement and would have gotten on his knees. was that a sex it's attack or sexually loaded attack? >> i don't know. i can just tell you, the president's trying to certainly silence my voice on this issue of these allegations against him. and he's often berated women and made them foley that they cannot be heard as well. and what i'm seeing today and what this election of doug jones is about is a statement by, particularly women, african-american wirnlgs and the african-american community coming out saying we are going to vote our values. you have to put this in context, 50 years ago, four little girls were killed by the kkk. and doug jones was the prosecutor who brought them

justice. and so people overwhelmingly were hurt heard. so i think this is an election of what we feel and our values and what we care about. president trump is wrong. he's a bully. and he's been attacking different people across this country since he's been president. and since the women's march. women have stood up, have fought hard, have spoken out about their beliefs. and they have not stopped. so i think that is a testament to this election and because of it, i have hope for this country. >> some of the accusers of president trump have come forward again recently, this week, publicly. >> yes. >> obviously, they came out be every the election, he was elected. the white house points to that a lot. do you think times have kanged in a year such that these accusations will be listened to in a different way now? >> yes, i do. i think this is a moment in time unlike any other with the "me too" movement, women are feeling the ability to them what happened to them.

some of the worst moments they lived and tell it publicly. >> that is power. . it is acting everything and people are looking for justice. you are seeing quick justice, whether it's in hollywood, or in corporate america, or in congress. and so what we can do is make sure that we continue to speak out and that's what women are doing. and they're speaking out in the millions across this country. >> let me go back to the tweet for a moment. let me be devil's advocate. the president tweeted this after you called for his resignation and essentially said you believe those people calling him, sexually assaulted him, that's a tough political attack. you played hardball. doesn't he have the right to do the same? >> the president says whatever he wants whenever he wants. i don't think that level of discourse, however, what this country wants. i think what he has done is unacceptable and if you put that in the context of multiple

accusers, who have accused him of sexual assault and sexual harassment, that are credible, you need accountability. i think what people want is accountability. he should resign. if he's unwilling to, congress should investigate. that's our job, oversight and accountability. i think the american people want this. i think they want a country that they are proud of. i think that's what this election was about. the fact that people wanted to vote for their values and what they care about. >> well, it's obviously, something that people will be talking about today that election in alabama. senator kirsten gillibrand. it's gait to have your perspective. thank you. >> thank you. for the first time we are seeing some of the anti-trump text messages that led t with the fbi removal in the investigation. pete williams has that story. good morning. >> reporter: hoda, the e-mails were handed over to congress tuesday night just as the deputy attorney general rod rosenstein prepares to appear today before

a house hearing. some republicans are saying the e-mails demonstrate why he should appoint another special council to investigate robert mueller's team t. e-mails were exchanged between fbi agent peter strzok and a leader lisa paige, the two were romantically involved. most were exchanged before either party secured the nominee. many were harshly critical of donald trump. one reads, god, trump is a loathsome human. on july 14, strzok wrote about trump, it's clear, he's capturing all the white, poor voters, who the main stream republicans abandoned in the name for the almighty dollar. they shared pro clinton views, strzok telling paige, god, hillary should win 100 million to nothing after clinton was nominated, he wrote, can grats on a woman nominated for a president in a major party about dam time.

when trump announced jeff sessions for attorney general. strzok said sessions for ag. to which paige responded, good govmd when mueller learned of the e-mails, he removed strzok from the team. the justice department inspector general is now looking into the fbi act's role into the hillary clinton e-mail case. so he is already under investigation. as for appointing another special council, that would have to be to investigate a crime. hoda, savannah. >> all right. pete williams, thanks so much for that. 25 million people are under winter weather alerts, with snow expected from the great lakes to the northeast. al is here, it is cold outside. >> it is, jet stream taking a big, big dip. let's take a look. this is a live shot along i-90, our good pals at the weather channel providing this, my pal mike seidel is out there right now. there was an accident, finally, traffic is starting to move. but also the big story, the cold air, five to 15 degrees above average out to the west.

look at how far deep this goes, all the way down into florida. along at the temperatures and wind chills right now. it feels like 3 below in buffalo. 9 in d.c. boston, your wind chill 7 degrees. this afternoon, buffalo, you will only feel like 3. 26 in d.c. cleveland 12 degrees. the good news it's a short lived cold snap. we will see temperatures rebound, buffalo, new york city, richmond, 49 degrees and charlotte will get up to 55 by sunday. we're going to get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds.

good wednesday morning, i'm meteorologist, kari hall. as we look outside in san francisco, a mostly clear start. high clouds filtering that sunshine and really cold temperatures. most of the bay area wakes up to temperatures in the 30s and upper 20s in parts of the north bay. we are at 37 degrees in oakland and 39 degrees in palo alto. after this cold start warms up to the mid to upper 60s, it's going to be a nice afternoon. coming up in the next half hour, we're talking about the snow, like you saw there. >> i can't believe how it's coming down. wow. >> all right, al, thanks. coming up, will your packages arrive in time? the ominous new warning that could spell trouble for coming up, holiday shoppers and the shipping deadline. >> the youtube star raking in millions before his birthday,

how kids are catching in on a

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let's treat them that way. milk-bone. doing more for dogs since 1908. authorities in millbrae have a very good morning to you. it is 7:26. i'm laura garcia. authorities wrapped up their search for suspects after an early morning chase that ended in a crash outside an exclusive country club. chp says it started as a pursuit on highway 101 with a car linked to an earlier carjacking. some of the people inside the car took off into the country club grounds. chp and deputies used police dogs to try to track those who left the scene. they managed to arrest three people who were inside the car. let's get a check of the forecast with meteorologist, kari hall. another cold start this morning. >> we have had upper 30s and upper 20s across the bay area

this morning. it's all sunny as we get a look live in san jose. the temperature there, 37 degrees. 32 in livermore and 29 in santa rosa. the high temperatures reaching the upper 60s for the south bay. 66 in livermore, 65 in oakland and concord. 65, also in san francisco. our temperatures, a little cooler as we head into the next few days with the afternoon highs and staying chilly in the mornings. inland areas up to 68 by friday. how are the roads looking? >> a couple delays in the south bay and the east bay seeing the heaviest. it may be due to a crash blocking a lane. also, seeing delays along westbound 580 from 238 to the bay bridge, 36 minutes. a quick update on the mass transit. vta is back to normal after a delay following a non-related crash at montague and 1st.

a quick look at the bay bridge. heavy delays. >> thank you. i'll be back with another update in a half hour. see you then.

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♪ good morning, everybody, welcome back. 7:30 on a wednesday morning, a snowy wednesday morning. check out warners, new york, this is near syracuse, they're getting serious snow this morning. >> it is. >> you feel it? in new york city, we don't have snow. we have cold and a christmas tree shining bright. good morning. >> we have a lot to happen today. starting with a political earthquake in alabama. [ music playing ] >> stunning upset. >> we have shown the country the way that we can be unified. >> democrat doug jones is the projected winner in the alabama senate race over controversial candidate roy moore.

>> the republicans are getting 56 of the vote in shelby county. >> that is a catastrophe. >> a republican refusing to concede. >> when the vote is there close, it is not over. >> moore a word, president trump under fire for tweeting democratic senator gillibrand would do anything for campaign contributions. the senator responding exclusively. >> it was certainly a sexist smear, intended to silence me and i'm not going to be silenced on this issue. ready to talk, secretary of state rex tillerson offers to sit down with north korea without pre-conditions. >> it's not realistic to say we will only talk if you come to the table ready to give up your program. >> inappropriate, michigan police under fire for handcuffing an 11-year-old girl at gunpoint. >> you are not going to jail or anything.

>> police now launching an internal investigation. >> it made me feel scared and like i did something wrong. >> and it's lit. hanukkah officially under way, launching the festival of lights. today, wednesday, december 13th, 2017. and happy hanukkah, everybody. >> indeed, let's begin this hour with families across the country. they are hoping to avoid a shipping christmas catastrophe w. so many of us ordering online the nation's shippers are under the microscope to deliver. that's after struggling with cyber monday. nbc news' tom costello is tracking it all from a postal service in northern virginia. hey, tom. >> hey, guys, good morning. santa claus may be able to do it all around the world in one night f. you want your package there on time, ground delivery with the postal service, you got to get it in tomorrow. ups, the world's biggest shipping company is bringing on

100,000 people if december just to hands him the demand of cyber monday. they're still struggling with that. now the clock is ticking for christmas.with three-quarters on packages in these brown trucks before christmas, will they make it to your home for the holidays? >> it's important to me that they get it there on time. i want to make sure my family opens their presents on the christmas. >> reporter: but with hanukkah already here, many gifts ordered on cyber monday aren't yet. some angry customers on twitter showing their ups packaging boomeranging back to the same distribution center not delivered. why the delay? they say the cyber week surge exceeded the plans, expecting 40 million more packages, ups says we have returned to our original peak operational plan and normal delivery time to meet demand, ups is stacking up, adding 95,000 seasonal workers.

meanwhile, if fedex says it's well positioned to meet anticipation demand. that means 300,000 packages along the 42 miles of conveyor belts at its hub in memphis, where a planeful of packages touches down every 90 seconds. while the union for the pilots who deliver for dhl and amazon's prime air say they're stretched impossible thin, the company says it's added ten more planes and we are fully staffed to meet our customers' expectations. >> it's important stuff gets to where i'm going on time. i'm penned for a service. i'd like it to get there on time. >> reporter: anticipating professional delays, some retailers hope they skip shipping altogether. >> many retailers are starting to introduce the idea that you can shop online and then pick up in store right up until the evening on christmas eve. >> reporter: all right. amazon.com tells nbc news in a statement, we are confident in

our ability to serve customers this holiday. and we regularly balance capacity across our customer network, with extensive forget, i should say with our also looking to carrier partners and ensuring that we can meet our delivery promises during this busy holiday shipping time. a couple take aways, first of all, the postal service says, ups says, few haven't yet gotten your package, if it hasn't been delivered yet. don't show up at the nearest sorting facility getting it from them. they will probably not have it. reiterating, of course, if you wanted to go by ground with the postal service, you should probably have it there by tomorrow and lastly with the postal service delivering 15 billion packages the word is, whatever you do, you might want to consider having it shipped to the retailer and picking up from the retailer as opposed to waiting for it to come all the way to you, if you are playing the game, if you rolling the dice, guys, back to you. >> i don't like to gamble with christmas, though. >> thank you. >> all right

al is shopping in july. >> that's right. well, if you are hoping to get something that's making its way through our area that's affected by snow, it may be slowed down a little bit. we are looking at the remnants of that lake effect snow, we got another clipper across the great lakes, from minneapolis, along the green bay, chicago will feel these effects. lake effect warning or winter weather advisory, gusty winds, slow travel, reduced visibility. today this clipper comes through, it will bring snow to indianapolis, detroit, pittsburgh. then it means a quick exit as we get into the day on thursday. the snowfall amounts, not quite as bad as we've seen in this last system, generally four-to-six inches, pennsylvania and new york, on towards cleveland, the bicker apples will be up as you get into parts good morning. i'm meteorologist, kari hall. as we take a live look outside in san rafael, watching the

north bay where the air quality this afternoon will be most unhealthy. a little smoke from the could your honor california wildfires moving in. also, a lot of smoke trapped near the surface. as we go through the day, temperatures warm up quickly after this cold start. up to 66 degrees in santa rosa. 65 in san francisco. san jose, 68 degrees. livermore, expect a high of 66 degrees. get that weather any time you need it from our friends at the weather channel on cable. guys? >> thanks, al roker. >> thank you, al. still to come this morning, it's rossen to the rescue. wait until you meet the deserving families he's surprising with the year's hottest toys. and inside william and harry's night at the london premier of "star wars," and what the director is telling us about their rumored cameo. >> do they play storm troopers? and then we chat with hugh jackman about the greatest show and his new movie and why it almost wasn't made. next, the 6-year-old boy making millions just for playing with toys.

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welcome back, everybody. 7:42. toys are, of course, a big money-maker, especially this time of year. >> that's right. but did you know you could be reviewing them online and making big bucks? and this little boy right there, why is he so happy? because he's living proof of that. nbc's joe fryer has his story. hi, joe. good morning. >> hey, good morning, guys. "forbes" is out with its latest list of highest-paid newt stars. and this year a 6-year-old is raking in millions, the magazine says. by playing with toys. known simply by his first name,

ryan has turned a child's past time into a very grownup business. >> whoa! feel it! it's like a real egg. >> on his youtube channel, the 6-year-old opens toys, plays with them, and offers his thoughts. >> wow! >> the video is recorded by his parents and posted online for millions across the world to watch. >> okay! >> woo! >> the channel started two years ago when ryan was a mere rookie. today he has more than 10 million subscribers, and now ranks eighth on the "forbes" list of highest paid youtube stars. by far the youngest to crack the top ten. "forbes," through number-crunching and expert interviews figures ryan's page brought in $11 million in revenue in a year, money that came from ads and sponsored content. >> it's a really interesting phenomenon that really anybody with a camera has this potential. of course, not everyone with a camera makes millions of

dollars, but there's the potential. >> yay! >> it's a popular youtube genre known as unboxing. literally watching kids unbox toys and entertain themselves for minutes on end. >> kids find this mesmerizing. >> welcome to ryan's toy review. >> and it's not just ryan. there are hundreds of these channels. and some others have also found success. in 2014, "today" profiled evan-tube hd. >> nice. >> we have already maxed out certain accounts. so i think the college -- the education is pretty much taken care of. >> as for ryan's family on their youtube page, they say most of the toys featured in these videos are donated to charity. >> we thought we would play a game inside -- >> it even started a second channel documenting the entire family's daily life. youtube notes that this type of content is found on so-called family channels. it's because youtube is a 13 and

over site and it wants kids younger than that to participate with their families, not on their own. i think we missed our calling, guys. >> i know! i don't think ryan gives a bad review. he loves all of the toys. super cute. jeff, thank you. >> yeah, i think vale and haley have some plans to make. we check in with dylan to see what's up in the orange room. >> we have a wild story behind >> we have a wild story behind an ♪ >> we have a wild story behind an ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ no family pays st. jude fbecause all a family, should worry aboutd.

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♪ lend him a helping hand, ♪ put a little love in your heart.♪ ♪ you'll see it's getting late, oh please don't hesitate...♪ ♪ put a little love in your heart.♪ ♪ in your heart... ♪ in your heart... ♪ in your heart... ♪ in your heart. (vo) going on now, our subaru share the love event will have donated over one hundred fifteen million dollars to those in need. how much would you pay for a short ride to the other side of town? you're going to be shocked when you hear this. >> hey, guys, he took an uber to visit a friend in a toronto

hospital. but little did he know he was embarking on one of the most expensive uber rides in history. the trip was only across town and took just 20 minutes so you can imagine the surprise -- >> oh, my gosh. >> when he saw he was charged $18,518.50. he contacted uber and received a lengthy response, with the most notable part saying, i can confirm that based on the pickup and drop-off locations of the trip you took, this fare is correct. >> what? >> so after the charge his hit credit card, of course, he tweeted about the ordeal, and social media users came to his defense. danielle tweets, unless the ride was in a helicopter piloted by luke skywalker, this dude better get a refund. >> thankfully he was able to get uber's attention. the afternoon after his fateful trip, he tweets, thank you to everyone who tweeted and retweeted about my magical $18,500 uber ride. uber support has refunded the fare and apologized. in a statement, uber acknowledged the charge was an error and apologized again. but, guys, i don't know, the traffic in new york city right now, it's possible to get a charge that expensive.

>> wow. all right, dylan. >> mta card. >> yeah, i like how dylan said it was one of the most expensive uber rides. might be even more. good to know. just ahead, the fun prince's harry and william had. and surprising very lucky and surprising very lucky viewer see ya. -take care. ♪ so probably take it at night. and if you have any questions, the instructions are here in spanish as you requested. gracias. ♪ at walgreens, how we care will change over time, but why we care remains the same treating everyone with the care and attention they deserve. walgreens. trusted since 1901. when food is good and clean and real, it's ok to crave. and with panera catering, there's more to go around.

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it's a better place, since you came along since you came along your touch is sunlight through the trees your kisses are the ocean breeze everything's alright when you're with me and i hold my favorite thing i hold the love that you bring but it feels like i've opened my eyes again and the colors are golden and bright again there's a song in my heart, i feel like i belong

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hi, good morning. i'm jeff rossen.

good wednesday morning. right now at 7:56, you head out the door and it is really cold, especially in the north bay. this is where we have unhealthy air quality with a live look outside in san rafael. it's another spare the air alert. if you can car pool or catch public transportation, moderate air quality for the east bay and south bay. then the high temperatures making it to the mid to upper 60s today. it's going to be really nice. we will have a quick warm up after this cool start. we'll do it tomorrow. san francisco reaching the low 60s today and for the weekend, 60 degrees will be the coolest day. as we look at the inland area forecast, still no rain. a lot of sunshine, very low humidity and up to 68 degrees on friday. let's get an update on the morning commute from vianey. >> we have a trouble spot in the east bay.

880 southbound and northbound seeing heavy delays due to two crashes unrelated. right now, the heaviest delays are coming westbound 80 from highway 4 to the bay bridge. 61 minutes, a crash blocking the lanes. heavy delays along westbound 580. just saw that change from from bay bridge. along 880, you can see back-to-back traffic. back to you. >> thank you very much. it is 7:57. a memorial growing outside san francisco hall as people remember mayor ed lee, who died suddenly. leaders are trying to forge ahead with city business. the there's no word about funeral arrangements. yesterday's surprise senate race victory for alabama doug jones. republican challenger, roy moore, has yet to concede defeat. another low call update is coming up in a half hour.

i'll see you on the midday newscast at 11:00.

it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, shocking upset. republican roy moore falls short in alabama's hotly contested senate race. democrat doug jones making history as the projected winner. but moore is not ready to concede. >> when the vote is this close, it is not over. >> we're live with the latest. >> plus -- rossen to the rescue with the hottest toys hard to come by, jeff rossen and his team crisscross the country creati creating dreams for families. >> it is the least we could do -- >> and galactic royalty.

princes william and harry make an appearance at the lond premiere with a fan favorite droid as new details emerge as their rumored cameos in the movie are revealed. today is wednesday, december 13th, 2017. it's freezing out here. what are you thinking? >> this group just flew back from thailand and you are running on three hours sleep. why? >> we wanted to celebrate katie's birthday on the plaza. >> look who i found. >> happy birthday, allison. ♪ ♪ >> i found 8-year-old alicia from alabama. >> good morning from the plause a. >> this couple from houston has a lot to celebrate. >> five years cancer free. >> al, guess who i found. >> i'm your number one fan. >> and welcome back, good

morning, everybody. it is wednesday morning. not going to sugar coat it, it is a cold one out there. >> i think it is 9 degrees with the wind. but we're going out and putting our hats and gloves on and going out. >> we have a crowd out there. we can't wait to say hello. we start with your news at 8:00. and the democrat doug jones declaring victory in the alabama senate race clouded by sexual misconduct claims against rival roy moore. gabe guiterrez is covering the campaign for us in montgomery this morning. hi, gabe, good morning. >> reporter: savannah, good morning. ruby red alabama is sending a democrat to washington for the first time in a generation. and the republican senate majority will now be razor thin, 51-49. this morning the blame game has already started. president trump tweeting a short time ago that the reason he originally endorsed roy moore's primary opponent luther strange is he knew roy moore couldn't win the general election. roy worked hard, the president writes, but the deck was stacked

against him. this morning a seismic political shift, a democrat is the apparent winner and the next senate from ruby red, alabama. >> we have so much not just around the state of alabama but we have shown the country the way that we can be unified. >> reporter: overnight doug jones pulling off a stunning upset. >> congratulations. everybody feels great today. >> reporter: after a frantic scramble to get african-american voters and moderates to the polls. >> i think that i have been waiting all my life and now i just don't know what the hell to say. >> reporter: in a brief somber speech to his supporters, his republican opponent roy moore refused to concede and even raised the possibility of a recount. >> when the vote is this close, it is not over. >> reporter: the horse race was surreal, for weeks the headlines dominated by sexual misconduct allegations against moore. the former judge repeatedly denied claims that he molested ten girls decades ago.

one as young as 14. >> this is simply dirty politics. >> reporter: president trump tweeting a rare congratulations to a democrat for a hard fought victory. adding the republicans will have another shot at this seat in a very short period of time. it never ends. >> i think we got it. >> reporter: regina johnson, it was perm. >> believe. >> reporter: she's one of the women who accused moore of unwanted sexual advances, alleging he gropes her at his law office in 1991 when she was 28. >> i am just thrilled that speaking out did make a difference. and that we won't be silenced any more. >> reporter: as for that possible recount that roy moore suggested, it is highly unlikely. under alabama law a recount would automatically kick in if the margin of victory was less than one half of 1% but doug jones topped moore by three

times that man. savannah. >> thank you. todayker stin jilly gillibrand called for trump to step down in renewed of sexual misconduct accusations against him and during a interview savannah asked about the tweet that the senator would do anything for campaign contributions. >> let me be bleunt about. it dd you interpret that tweet as a sexual reference. >> that's how i and many people read it and it was a sexism smear intended to silence me and i'm not going to be silenced on this issue. i've heard the testimony of many women, numerous accusers, i believe them. and he should resign for that. >> new york's other leader chuck schumer said he was the target of a fake document offers to news organizations akugz him of sexually harassing a member and

said he is forthed and turned over to can a capitol police. we now the cause of the fast moving wildfire that destroyed homes in the bel air neighborhood of los angeles. officials say the skirball fire was spoked beenire at a homeless encampment. the fire scorched more than 400 acres since it broke out last wednesday. the flames burned down six homes, forced thousands of mandatory evacuations. there have been no arrests in the case. 8:06 now. time for the morning boost. >> let's do it. kids, if you can't count on a family member to help you in your time of need, who can you count on? watch what happens during a youth wrestling match in indiana. a little girl and a little boy are locked up in a ear-to-ear match when the girl's little brother jumps into action. dad has to run in and scoop up the overprotective sibling. everyone got a good laugh. apparently the boy thought his big sis was being picked on. and you know what, he was having none of it. get off my sister! >> i love it. that is adorable.

lots more ahead this morning. including the one thing that might possibly be able to overshadow a "star wars" premier. we'll show you. >> wow. plus, he plays the greatest showman and he is a pretty good one himself. hugh jackman is stopping by. first, let's see what megyn has coming up. >> hey, guys, a teenage football player seemed to have it all until the panic attacks started before he knew it, he was in the hospital. how he found joy when he joins us live today. and next, it's rossen to the rescue. >> hi, good morning. i'm jeff rossen. they are the hottest toys of the season. stores are sold out. the prices online are sky-high. so we bought them for you. handing toys out to parents and children in need. the results of our rossen the results of our rossen reports ( ♪ ) more people shop online for the holidays than ever before.

(clapping) and the united states postal service delivers more of those purchases to homes than anyone else in the country. ( ♪ ) because we know, even the smallest things are sometimes the biggest. even the smallest things ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ my dbut now, i take used tometamucil every day.sh it traps and removes the waste that weighs me down, so i feel lighter. try metamucil, and begin to feel what lighter feels like.

delicious recipes made holidwith nutella! the holidays never tasted this good. discover holiday recipes at nutella.com.

in this home we make breakfast. sometimes messes! but always masterpieces ...together. what matters most is made at home. giveand get $10 kohl's cash wefor every $50 spent! give the latest active and wellness gifts that will keep them on the move all year long and you'll get kohl's cash! presents for them, kohl's cash for you! give joy, get joy at kohl's!

welcome back. with a new rossen to the rescue, a followup to tuesday's big holiday toy challenge. >> that's right. today national investigative correspondent, jeff rossen, showed us why it's so hard to find the season's hottest toys, and then launched a contest to give some of them away for free. and yes, the viewers did respond. and jeff is in orlando this morning with the results. jeff, this is a fun one. good morning! >> yeah. this is so fun. and it's been so inspiring, my team has been tireless. we have been up for 24 hours, reading all of your tweets, all of your stories. so many families in need this year. so many families where money is tight, and they can't afford these sky-high prices for these toys. so this morning, we are crisscrossing the country, making some special deliveries and in just a moment, programs the biggest surprise of all right inside this house. they are the hottest toys this season. fingerlings. the lol surprise big surprise,

and the classic super nintendo nes. many stores are sold out. prices online sky-high. we bought them, and on tuesday, made this announcement live on "today." >> we have bought extras of all the toys, and we want to give them to you, our viewers! so we want you to tweet us right now using the hash tag rossenreportscontest. >> thousands and thousands of you wrote in. so late tuesday, the rossen reports team deployed nationwide. one thing i've noticed from this contest is how many good people there are in the world. and one of them, her name is la tasha. and i saw this tweet from her. i had to meet her. she wrote, i am a single foster mother who recently took in a family of four brothers ages 2 through 8. the super nintendo classic would really make their day. okay. so i have the super nintendo classic. we are here in georgia. let's surprise her. >> oh, jeff rossen! >> la tasha? >> yes, oh, my god! >> you do such beautiful things

for his kids. it's the at least we could do to help their christmas. >> oh, my god. thank you so much! matthew! >> what? >> will this help to make their holiday better? >> oh, my god, yes. it would be amazing. matthew, look! >> yes, yes! >> what do you think, matthew? >> it's great, thank you. >> i'm going to cry! >> i know! >> oh, we're just getting started. >> hello! >> my producer, olivia, flying to louisiana to surprise this mother. her husband is deployed this christmas, and she was just laid off. for their kids, we deliver an lol surprise and a nintendo. this year, so many families displaced by natural disasters. this mom writing to us, my 14-year-old twins went through harvey, and then moved to florida to start over and went through irma. this christmas, we are grateful to be alive, but it will be very small. my girls would love a nintendo system or a finger pet. >> jeff rossen from nbc news. >> oh, my gosh!

it's -- it's actually you! >> it's actually me! we've brought presents for your daughters. where are they? can we go upstairs and see them? >> she leads us to the living room. >> i heard you guys wanted fingerlings. >> those are adorable! >> are you okay? tears of joy, i hope. >> yes. i love these things. they're so adorable. >> reading your tweets is what touched us so much. stories of brave children, fighting sickness and disabilities. this mom wrote to us, my 14-year-old with autism and his brother would love the nintendo classic, as this is how they bond, through talking about video games. thank you for a chance. >> can't wait to see their faces when they get their hands on this. >> my producer, lindsey, showing up at their door. >> i'm with the "today" show and rossen reports. and we heard you guys wanted a super nintendo. >> oh, my gosh. did you know your mom sent us a tweet? >> i didn't know we were going to win, though.

>> we can't forget about the west coast, and this little boy from california. his grandma writing, my grandson just received a bone marrow transplant for leukemia. his mom cannot afford christmas this year. time to surprise them, too. >> lucas, your grandmother wrote to us this morning on twitter. and she told us about how strong of a boy you've been. and you know what she recommended? is that you get this toy! are you excited? are you ready to play? >> yeah! >> coast to coast, smiles for the families who deserve them most. >> happy holidays! bye! loved meeting all of them. and right now we are inside the ronald mcdonald house here in orlando. this is an amazing charity. they house families for free when their kids are being treated at hospitals away from home. now, i heard you guys like toys, right? >> yeah! >> they like toys and a lot are

spending christmas here. they're being treated, everything from brain injuries to pediatric cancer. so guys, we got you some of the hottest toys that you can't find in the stores. so if you guys want to -- you want them to get these? >> yeah! >> go get them! the parents were telling me, this is so important, debby. you were telling me that your daughter has been here. what does this mean? little things like this, be even? >> oh, you take their mind off of what's going on out there, and you guys care. takes the mind off and makes them happy. that's what it's all about. >> we're happy to be here. thank you so much. >> we appreciate it. >> everyone here is so brave. these kids are so amazing. we're going to stand here for a little while, guys. this is so inspirational to watch them ripping into those toys. very cool? you like that? of course, as you know, guys, it's hard to get the packaging open. we're here inside the ronald mcdonald house, and thank you to everyone in america for those tweets. our thoughts and hearts are with you this holiday season. >> absolutely. well done, jeff, and your whole team. it's lovely. >> by the way, i have loved a lot of jeff stories, but this is at the top of the heap, isn't

it? great job. >> and they have been working day and night to go across the country last night. awesome. >> beautiful. >> thanks to you guys. appreciate it. give some hugs out there. love it. thank you. mr. roker, that makes us feel good. >> that's right. santa cleared out the weather so they didn't have any problems. that worked out nicely. we do have leftover lake-effect snow. we have another clipper that's going to be coming across the great lakes, dumping about 4 to 6 inches of snow from minneapolis all the way up into northern new england over the next 48 hours. bone-chilling cold again. it feels like 6 in boston right now. 7 in new york city. 8 in cleveland. feels like 5 below when you factor in the winds in buffalo. afternoon highs stay in the teens and 20s through the northern tier of states. 80s in southern california, where they could use some rain and cooler weather. and chances for a white christmas this year. white christmas defined as it leaves one inch of snow cover on christmas morning from fargo across to chicago, detroit, buffalo, cleveland, on into burlington. looks pretty good. likely also out in the pacific

good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. it's been a really cold start this morning, but it will be a very nice and comfortable afternoon. east san jose up to 67 degrees. also some upper 60s for the east bay. pleasanton 66 degrees. 62 in oakland and for the peninsula, 62. also daly city. half moon bay, 70 degrees, and 60 in the marina district today, while the north bay freezing temperatures this morning, but reaching up to 65 in novato. and that is your latest weather. savannah. >> alrighty, al. trending time. trending on twitter this morning. bon jovi. what was just revealed. bon jovi among next year's 2018 rock and roll hall of fame inductees. the other, my three celeb dinner would be -- okay. it is the most wonderful time of year. we all know that. while shopping, planning, decorating, cooking, wrapping

presents and writing cards, your holiday to-do list can seem endless. in a yelp survey, 69% of people said they were stressed and many would be willing to pay to have someone else do their holiday tasks. so that brings us to "today's" trending. holiday tasks. would you delegate it if you could? delegate, yes, not delegate no. holiday shopping. do you want to delegate it? >> yes. >> yes. ooh, of course. because you like -- you enjoy shopping. >> i do. >> and you're good at it. cook your holiday meal? >> no. >> yes, i would delegate. >> delegate. >> who -- >> i would delegate. >> you know what, we don't cook. >> right. >> okay. >> we don't do anything. >> take down and put away your decorations. >> oh. >> take them down. >> take them down. >> yeah, take them down. >> i would definitely have someone else take them down. >> i like putting them up. >> me too. >> okay. >> a simple kid's toy christmas morning. no. >> delegate. >> you would want to do it yourself? >> no, i want to delegate.

oh. >> what about wrapping? what about gift wrapping? >> i like gift wrapping? >> did we do -- >> gift wrapping, yes or no, delegate? >> yes. >> i like wrapping. >> you like to do it? >> no, i would delegate. >> me too. >> means you don't want to do it. gosh. two quick ones. make holiday returns. obviously, we delegate. >> delegate. >> drinking eggnog. delegate. i don't want to drink it. >> why would i have someone else do that? >> i don't want to delegate. >> i'm glad we had this talk. >> so confusing. >> take it away. okay. let's begin "pop start" with the royals. prince william and harry hit the red carpet for the european premier of "star wars" the last jedi. lucy cavanaugh was at the premier last night. i'm jealous. how was it? >> reporter: dylan, good morning. this was a star-studded event that got the royal stamp of approval. prince harr ime be busy planning his wedding and prince william

awaiting the birth of his third child, but they managed to find some time to hit the red carpet. and the force was with them. in a galaxy not so far, far away, right here in london, actually, hollywood "star wars" royalty shared the red carpet with british royalty. the dashing princes greeted with proper protocol by the film's adorable droid, and a bit of enthusiasm from the cast. >> i hope i don't trip when i read them. >> reporter: this was no ordinary premier. they were reportedly making came oappearances in the film, disguised as storm troopers. was this the scene? lucy cavanaugh of -- the producer keeping mum. >> i did not say they made a cameo. >> reporter: but after john spilled the beans at the hollywood reporter's actor's round table. >> it wasn't intimidating. >> reporter: joking last night -- >> i think harry is the jedi. i really do believe that. >> reporter: even chewy played by finnish basketball player sa

tammo, was impressed. >> it's a royal competition. >> reporter: the pair dropped by the "star wars" set in london last year. the brothers getting a sneak peek at the costumes and creatures. getting their hands on some of the most famous props in the world. >> am i supposed to wear this during the film? >> reporter: but last night, it was the royal force meeting the force. the british empire striking back. dill lab l dylan, no official word on whether prince harry got any acting trips from his fiancee, but we did hear from meghan markle will be joining this year, a major break in tradition, since the pair isn't officially getting married until may. dylan? >> interesting. thank you so much. and now to a special "pop start" premier. we have a look at the trailer for the upcoming movie, the 1517 to paris. remember in 2015 when three courageous americans shot off a terrorist attack aboard a train? they are now headed to the big screen. take a look.

>> once you begin to discover who you are, then you realize how you have been given authority over your life! but you can only do that through the struggle of life. and most people avoid the struggle. but we've been chosen for this great work. >> now the movie is directed by clint eastwood, and he cast the real-life heroes to play themselves. >> wow. >> the film hits theaters february 9th. the full trailer, head to today.com. >> that's amazing. >> cool. and finally, the golden globes. everyone is still talking about the 2018 nominations just announced monday. and this year is extra special. it's the 75th anniversary of the award show. so nbc, the hollywood foreign press association and dick clark productions are teaming up to bring us a star-studded anniversary special. and we have an exclusive sneak

peek. here's a look back at when some of the biggest stars who won for the very first time. >> i got so nervous, i didn't know the etiquette of coming up here when you win these awards, because i'm -- i don't know. and yet i've been in this room since i was 7 years old. >> to my mother, i love you. did okay, huh? >> i want to thank my mama, who said i could do it. can you believe it, ma? >> my father used to tell me to say every morning, today is going to be a great day. i can and i will. well, dad, today is a great day. i can and i did. >> thank you to hollywood foreign press, and most of all, my family. mom, stop crying. stop screaming. it's okay. >> will and grace stars will host the two-hour event which will feature interviews with nicole kidman and many more. you can catch the golden globes 75th anniversary special tonight at 9:00 p.m. right here on nbc. >> the movie about the real

heroes in paris, the real heroes will be on the "today" show in february. >> cool! >> that's awesome. >> "pop start" news for you. >> breaking news. >> yes. let's get to this one. i was trying to make that catch. a group of tourists were surprised when they got up close and personal with a great white shark. take a look. >> ooh. >> whoa! >> my god. >> ooh. ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh. >> oh, my gosh! >> ooh! horrible. >> i'm going to get to this thing. >> whoa! >> oh, they were -- >> oh, my god. >> crazy! >> there were divers in the cage. >> oh, no, indeed. >> attack the whole time? thankfully the shark lost interest in the cage when someone on the boat threw food into the water. i mean, you go shark diving, and

i guess that's what you prepare to have happen. >> wow. all right, thank you, dylan. straight ahead, international superstar in the house,i )m ... authorities in millbrae have now ended a search for suspects after an early morning good morning, it's 8:26, i'm marcus washington. authorities in millbrae have ended a search for suspects after an early morning chase. the crash happened outside of an exclusive country club. the chase started around 2:30 this morning as a pursuit on highway 101 when a car was linked to an earlier carjacking. it crashed into a gate at green hills country club. some of the occupants took off on the country club grounds. chp and deputies used police dogs to track down those they could not catch. authorities did manage to arrest three of the suspects. right now there is a slowdown in the east bay. >> we've seen a couple of incidents pop up within the past 20 minutes, but really eastbound really struggling to kind of

clear out, especially northbound and southbound 880. it looks like there was a crash right before fifth avenue and there was a serious backup. delays expected of about an hour. you can see there's also another crash northbound 87 blocking what appears to be one lane, but look at the east bay drive times. westbound 80 from highway 4 towards the bay bridge, you're looking at 15 minutes. westbound 580 from 238 towards the bay bridge, 49 minutes. northbound 880 from 238 to the bay bridge, more than an hour of delay. a live look at 880. it's pretty bad out there. >> we'll be back.

good morning, everybody! it's wednesday, december 13th, 2017. beautiful day out here on our plaza. so cold, so lovely. but there is one little pig that will cheer up everything. it's peppa. she is here. we all know peppa pig, those of us with toddlers. and we are very excited to have peppa and the celebrity voice collecting the toy for our toy drive this morning. how exciting is that? >> are you busting? >> i love peppa so much.

>> i know. that's been the talk. you actually showed me some cartoons on your phone. >> i did. well, it's for my 3-year-old who loves peppa, but i love her too. >> and peppa herself is here. >> interrupt for a second. hoda, i know you normally take over the crowd moment here. but i want to do it for you. i want to bring you with me. >> okay. what? >> there's a group of girls -- i think are a little bit obsessed. >> hoda, hoda, hoda, hoda! >> come on over. >> hoda, hoda, hoda, hoda! >> i found your biggest fans. >> we love you, hoda! >> that's awesome. [ cheers and applause ] >> who doesn't love hoda? >> this is like my whole past

life. you guys, that was so nice. yes, i will -- i'll take a picture. >> it's your fan corner. >> i'll be right here. >> okay. coming up, we have another great big star. not just peppa pig. we've got hugh jackman here. oh, yes. we're going to talk about his role as the greatest showman to buzz around the movie. and why that movie almost wasn't made. >> that's pretty cool. and what you need to complete the holidays besides presents? cookies, of course. we're going to dress up the classic butter cookie, not one, not, two, not three, but four. >> yummy. first, megyn, what have you got coming up? >> so how about that roy moore stunning loss last night in alabama. why steve bannon is crying in his soup. and then we're going to talk about lotcas. this is not just about merry christmas and the ugly -- what is that, fruit cake? >> fruit cake. >> it's about the smushed tater

tot. and it's awesome. and also faux fur and how to wear it. it's very confusing. faux fur. >> okay, megyn. we need some faux fur. am i right? >> fe, fi, fo, fur. >> that's our envy talking. >> you guys all just climb in. there is plenty of room. we've got a birthday girl over here. very nice. happy birthday to you. let's show what's going on as far as your weather is concerned. smog in the pacific northwest. red flag warnings in southern california. strong winds around the western great lakes. windy and cold in the northeast and new england. tomorrow, lake-effect snow firing up in the eastern great lakes. that persistent fog continues in the valleys of the northwest. the winds start to pick up again in southern california. not great news there. plenty of sunshine, warm, through the gulf coast, on into the southeastern good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. still really cold around the bay area. breezy winds too.

as we take a live look outside in san francisco, we will have some unhealthy air quality once again. then our temperatures make it into the mid-60s. up to 65 degrees in oakland and concord, 68 degrees in san jose, and santa rosa expect a high of 66 degrees with some more 60s in the forecast and staying dry through next week. [ cheers and applause ] >> and that's your latest weather. hey, we've got to make sure we get all of these people seen. and also let you know that no matter where you have weather and when you need it, make sure you check out our friends on the weather channel on cable. oh, savannah? >> al, thank you so much. the new musical "the greatest showman" is getting a lot of buzz, with the star hugh jackman. he sings his way on to the screen as circus pioneer, pt

barnum. ♪ a million dreams are keeping me away ♪ ♪ a million dreams a million dreams ♪ ♪ i dream of what the world can be ♪ ♪ i dream of the world i see ♪ >> oh, i mean, it's so good. the music is beautiful. >> thank you. i'm laughing because your crew are dancing in the background. guys, that -- that one was amazing. i'm a little upset we didn't use it in the movie. >> i know, i know. exactly. i didn't know they had such heart. i mean -- >> see? >> but this is the kind of movie that makes you want to sing and dance and -- >> yeah. >> it's beautiful. >> it's a perfect -- for me, a perfect movie for this time of year. it's for everybody. it is uplifting. it's got i think a great theme about inclusion and tolerance for those people -- back in those days, it was a bearded lady, a three-legged man. but really, the story of being kind to everyone. that we can create family. we can create tolerance i think is perfect for them. >> the message is evergreen, as

they say. this was a labor of love. i know you tried to get this made for years. >> seven and a half. >> but who is counting? >> yeah, right. no, it was just after i hosted the oscars, and the producer said, you know, you've done movies, "wolverine," musicals on broadway and the west end. you should put the two together. and i was like, great. to be honest, i thought it was a one in ten chance. because no matter who you are, it had been 23 years since a studio had said yes to that. and thankfully, we found justin and benj who were nobodies at the time. won for "la la land." >> just got three grammy award nominations. and they no longer talk to me. but that's fine. because i wrote -- they're way too big. they wrote ten incredible songs. >> and i know there was this critical moment in the process where you're trying to get this movie made. >> yeah. >> and i heard a story that it was rehearsal time, this big moment with the producers. >> yeah. >> and you had had skin surgery the night before. >> yeah. >> and the doctor said, whatever you do, don't sing. >> don't sing. >> so what happened?

>> i had had a skin cancer, and he said you've got to get it out. and i said, can we wait until after the performance? he said, no, it's cancer. so he put 80 stitches in my nose and everything was fine. and i thought, i'll turn up the next day and there were probably 80 people, big wigs, all ready to make the decision were we or weren't we. the director was not happy with me, but i had someone singing for me. so i would do the scenes and he would sing. and it came to the last number, and i thought i'll just sing the first line. i'll sing the second line, it's quiet. and then i was off. i'm a big ham. so i started singing, finished the number. it was a good show biz moment. oh -- he overcame. and then all of a sudden i felt this trickle of blood. yeah. it was not good. i had to go and get some of those stitches redone. but worth it. >> it was worth it! >> the show must go on. >> i was going to say, blood, sweat and tears, literally. and it's kind of full circle for you. because pt barnum, a great showman, the circus. you do have some experience in the clown sector. >> oh, my gosh. you've done your research.

>> of course i have! so when was this? you used to -- you were a clown at birthday parties? >> 21 or 22. and me and stan were cocoa and bozo. clearly hadn't put a lot of effort into that. that was a rented clown suit. sorry, i still haven't given it back. and i gave up, finally, after a year when i did an 8-year-old's party, and your job as a clown is literally to distract the kids for an hour while the parents have a glass of wine. >> exactly. >> so that eight minutes in -- maybe three minutes in, this 8-year-old stands up, mom, this clown is terrible! he might have used a different word than terrible. and i was, like -- i literally grabbed my ace, which was juggling eggs, and i just gave them all two dozen eggs and they started throwing eggs at me and i thought this is the greatest thing ever and that was the last time. >> you're like, i'm out. >> i'm out. >> you talked a little bit about the movie, one of the themes is inclusion, and acceptance of whoever you are. >> right. >> and i read, and i was

interested to see, you had actually given up dancing for a long, long time. >> yeah. >> because you didn't -- what -- >> a teacher pulled me aside and said you have talent, you should do dancing lessons. so i went home and told my dad. and he was like, great. and someone said, oh, you're a sissy dancer. and i said what? and he said, dancing is for sissies. and i said i'm not a sissy so i didn't do it. and i was in theatre when i was 18, and sang 42nd street with my dad and at the end, came up to me and he said, you know, i said something really stupid to you about eight years ago much. you belong on the stage. and i'm really sorry. so the next day i signed up for dancing lessons. but it was about seven or eight years. >> you are kidding me? that just gave me some chills. >> really? for me too at the time. i was grateful he had said it because i had forgotten about it. it wasn't like the whole seven years i was like i wish -- i

just forgot. so for my kids or any kids out there, i don't care if you want to be a mechanic, make pizza, dance, if you love it, do it. don't care what anybody else says. that's part of the message of this movie. >> and it's never too late. >> never too late. >> and as we mentioned, hue picked up a golden globe nomination this week for his portrayal and he reacted to the news on twitter saying in part, through all of the literal blood, sweat and tears, giving up was never an option. as it is said, with great risk comes great reward. thank you, hollywood foreign press. "the greatest showman" opens one week from today. and hugh is a doll. >> you were totally cool, too. i was wondering -- you fan girled a little. >> a little bit. i was the inner dork that you know well. but, yes, i tried to play it cool. coming up, an easy option if you're looking for last-minute holiday gifts. the best books to give or curl up with this year. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

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and we are back with more of

our special series, "today's" hassle-free holiday. if you're still looking for presents for your loved ones, may we suggest a good book. here is "new york times" best-selling authors emily giffen. emily, let's start with the fiction category. what would be your number one -- >> and thank you for the stockings. >> you're welcome. >> so my fiction recommendation is the story of true love by elizabeth berg. we were just chatting about her. we both love her. he knows her, i don't. >> oh, yeah? >> three lonely people who find an unexpected connection. and it just really highlights the good in people. it's uplifting. story. >> would you give it to men, women, both? >> yes. anyone. anyone. >> all right. harlan, what's your number-one fiction book? >> "blue bird blue bird."

a great blues song could be a book full of great heart ache, it would be this. an exciting murder mystery, really gripping, really thrilling and beautifully written. my favorite voice i've heard this year. you will be hearing a lot about her, i think. >> is that the first? >> this is her first in this new series and first real mystery. >> okay. let's go nonfiction. emily, where are we going? >> we are going with bobby kennedy. >> oh, that's chris matthews' book. >> chris matthews' new book. i am fascinated by the kennedys. a lot of people are. he's my favorite, though. bobby is my favorite. he embodies the idealism of that family and is just the best of what that family offered. and this is a very intimate portrait. >> so often when you feel like i think i've read everything about the kennedys, do you learn more in that book? >> you do. you see him from >> you do. you see him from the perspective of the brooding young soul. you really feel like you get to know him intimately. so if you like the kennedys, this is a great one. chris matthews is a great writer.

>> harlan. >> "the killer of the flowered moon" by david graham which tells a true crime and historical novel. the osage nation in the 1920s were like the kuwaitis of today, super wealthy in oklahoma getting the oil. and someone started to kill them and murder them. and this is a unbelievably well-researched -- it's written like a detective novel. an important book to read. and also very entertaining. >> how do you guys get your recommendations? do you go through and read things, get recs from friends like we do? >> mostly friends. >> i think friends. it's one of the perks of being a writer. you get some advanced reading copies. >> show us your coffee table book. >> are we skipping one? oh, wait. >> coffee table is fine. you want to go? >> sure. "the portraits of courage" by george w. bush. >> oh, yeah. >> george bush says he's a novice as a painter. he's painted soldiers and he tells their story.

and there is something both haunting, lyrical, mesmerizing about it. and, like, a lot of great art or a lot of good art, reflects both on the subject and on the artist. i think it's a fairly poignant book and definitely worth a read. >> he is so talented. >> and what's yours? >> mine is "clairegs" and i don't cook. it's beautiful even if you're not a big chef. >> and quickly, give us your children's book picks. >> "the hate you give" by angie thomas. my 16-year-old daughter recommended it. it's a great book about race but also entertaining. >> will be a movie too. >> very important book. adults too. >> until i had harlan's list, i had to take it off. that's how good it is. here we are, children's book. it's written by jeffers and the after glow of having a newborn.

the message is really simple and great for the holiday. be kind, be accepting and we're all on this planet earth together. >> good way to end, you guys. great picks. thank you so much for being here. >> thank you. they also selected a bonus pick exclusively for the web. you can find their full list at today.com/shop. next, we dive into the holiday cookie craze. first, this is today on nbc. today.com/shop. next, we dive into the holiday cookie craze. isrst, this

we are back. it's 8:49. this morning on "today food," the holiday cookie craze is taking hold from coast to coast. plenty of sugar, spice and everything nice. this holiday, bakers are battering up to see just how the cookie crumbles. >> flavors that are trending this year are peppermint, chocolate and cinnamon. >> during the months of november and december, 93% of americans take to baking.

spending $110 billion on candy and food. just a fraction of the 19,000 cookies each of us eat in our lifetime. >> that's a lot of cookies. >> christmas time cookies are a european tradition that can be traced as far back as the 16th century, brought to the u.s. 100 years later by the dutch. today they are sprinkled and sugared, favored by santa and gift-givers alike. >> this year, 100,000 americans will give baked goods for the holiday season. >> boldly baking the holiday spirit. >> we have the host of "baked in vermont," here with a family butter cookie recipe for us to try. good morning! >> good morning. >> everything looks so beautiful. we're ready to dig in. >> i try not to eat the dough. it's a tough battle in all of this. >> it is. >> we're making my grandmother's german butter cookies. it's one of those recipes i've had since it was written by hand. handwriting. the cutest thing. so you have to translate the

german words and the handwriting, which is so much fun. so you're spending time with people you love. there's lots of butter in there. and what it means is butter stuff. so it is butter stuff. so lots of butter and sugar. and then there are two kinds of flour. because it was an old german recipe, i have all-purpose and pastry or cake flour. >> okay. >> so that it's the right amount of structure in the flour and the right amount of tenderness. so you have them both. and lemon zest and salt. in her recipe, she also had something called -- i couldn't read it -- what does that mean? i looked it up. my grandmother is so difficult. it was like booze. so i couldn't find the right stuff, but there was a lot of it in there. so just a little more butter -- i'm like, go, omi. and you also add four egg yolks, which is a little unusual. don't use the whites but it makes them very tender. lemon juice, because omi liked things a little -- >> a little sas? >> a little sassy. a little vanilla.

and then you'll add the flour until it's just incorporated so you get really nice dough. and do you know how to make lattice? >> no. >> that's funny. you're funny. >> definitely don't. >> so what you do is, you peel back -- well, it will peel back for us, every other one and lay a strip across. >> okay. like this way? >> way. >> do you have to chill the dough? >> you do have to chill it about 20 minutes. >> oh, and then you put it back over. so it's like a checkerboard. >> and if it breaks, don't worry, because it comes together really well. or you just eat the piece you broke off. >> okay. >> we have one minute. i want to make sure we get over here. >> this is what happens when you make the checkerboard. you make a checkerboard. >> beautiful. >> you roll it out and stamp it out and i have extra just to make the cuff. and then -- >> beautiful! >> i like that. >> i like the frosting part. >> so this is the piping part. and the best way to pipe is that you have, obviously piping bags. if you get really nice tips and you just -- you actually hold the bag higher up than you think you should and you get a better

line, especially if you had coffee and you're shaky. >> oh, so higher. >> higher. you can control -- >> she's doing great. >> good one, dylan! >> you're doing a great job. and that just means you're covering the whole surface with the icing. >> and it's different textures. one is piping. and this is so much fun to do with kids. it doesn't need to be perfect. it just needs to be yummy. >> they're delicious. >> right? >> and they can use embossers, if you don't like doing decorations, you can put ho, ho, ho. >> one recipe but lots of ways to do it. >> yes. >> thank you. if you do want the recipe, omi's recipe, go to today.com/food. we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc. ♪

♪ think of your fellow man, ♪ lend him a helping hand, ♪ put a little love in your heart.♪ ♪ you'll see it's getting late, oh please don't hesitate...♪ ♪ put a little love in your heart.♪ ♪ in your heart... ♪ in your heart... ♪ in your heart... ♪ in your heart. (vo) going on now, our subaru share the love event will have donated over one hundred fifteen million dollars to those in need.

as we finish off these cookies, in our fourth hour, judd apatow will be here and best mail-order gifts. and a live performance. how about that?

>> you're doing great. >> what grade would you give her? >> a-plus? >> f-minus? >> doesn't it look fun? megyn kelly today is next after your local news and weather. >> delicious. >> beautiful. >> really good. i )m - -... a memorial is growing at san good morning. it's 8:56, i'm marcus washington. a memorial is growing at san francisco city hall for the late mayor ed lee. as we first reported on "today in the bay" yesterday, mayor lee died from an apparent heart attack. san franciscans are waking up this morning to see the chronicle's front page. the headline reads "mayor led city in time of change." the mayor collapsed monday night at his neighborhood safeway.

supervisors went ahead with their scheduled meetings led by the acting mayor. as for a memorial service for mayor lee, there has not been an announcement just yet. happening now, pete is at city hall and will have complete updated coverage for us in our midday newscast. you can go to our twitter feed any time for updates. we'll post information about the funeral for mayor lee once it is released. yesterday's surprise senate race victory for alabama democrat doug jones is creating a ripple effect in washington. that's even though republican challenger roy moore has yet to concede defeat. you can go to our home page right now for more on the fallout. and minnesota lieutenant governor smith has been chosen to fill the seat vacated by al franken until the next election. 3w4r57

this morning on "megyn kelly today." mr. jones goes to washington. alabama picks its next senator. >> we have shown the country the way, that we can be unified. >> what does it mean for a divided nation and the feud-focused president. and a college football star step away from the field to focus on his own mental health. plus, it's the holiday season and we are celebrating hanukkah with next-level latkas. and our freebie train rolls into the studio on "megyn kelly today," right now. [ cheers and applause ]