which means more spots where traffic is on the san mateo bridge. the south bay, we'll get more crowded as the rain comes in. >> and more power outages in the south bay as well. next local update coming up in half an hour. ♪ good morning. coast to coast threat. a massive storm system set to sweep across the country. evacuations ordered in fire ravaged california overnight. the midwest bracing for blizzard-like conditions. severe weather expected from the from the south to the northeast. ns of millions in its path and al is tracking it all. not off the table. president trump signaturing he could pardon his former campaign chairman paul manafort as we learn more about how the president answered some tough questions from the special council. we're live it at the white house. paying the price.

dick's sporting goods facing a says slump in the wake of its tougher stance on guns. why the retail giant is standing by its decision this morning. all that, plus, cbs bombshell. disturbing new allegations against the network's disgraced former chief. did les moonves scheme to silence an accuser? glaring problem. troubling results from new headlight tests. most cars on the road failing to make the grade. what you need to know before you hit the road. and it's official! ♪ the rockefeller christmas try shining bright after a star-studded celebration kicking off the holiday season, today thursday, november 29th, 2018. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb. live from studio 1a in

rockefeller plaza. >> hey, everybody, welcome to today on this thursday morning. thank you for joining us. >> look at us outside. >> i know, we just cannot get enough of these beautiful tree. the season is finally here. we lit it last night. >> it was a spectacular moment when they turned the lights on. oh, we could watch it a million times over. by the way, wasn't the music incredible? >> music was incredible. we had so much fun. and the season begins, too. >> you got that right. the sttop story, the dangers conditions. al is here. >> hi, guys. everybody coast to coast is affected by this. first, we've got heavy rain moving into california with this storm system. heavy rain, we're talking 3 to 5 inches possible for the burn scar areas in california. that means we're going to be talking about possible mudslides and debris flows. friday, as the system moves

east. 16 million people at risk. we've got an enhanced risk for severe weather, tornado threat through the night. the storm system ramps up. we're looking for heavy snow to the north of this system. winter storm watches from minnesota and on into montana. and then saturday, the system continues east bringing a risk again for severe weather from the gulf into the midsection of the country. 8 million people at risk. as the system ramps up, we're looking at heavy wet snow to the upper midwest. heavy wet snow and gusting winds as well. we're talking 3 to 5 inches of rain down into the panhandle of florida. we're also looking at 1 to 3 inches of rain in the mississippi river valley. and isolated 8 inches of snow with blizzard-like conditions in the upper midwest. guys, this one is a big weathermaker coast to coast. >> al, thank you. now, to some major breaking news in the russia investigation. president trump's former

personal attorney and longtime fixer michakchael cohen has jus pled guilty to lying to to congre congress in the russia investigation. let's get to pete williams. pete, what more do we know? >> quite a bit, craig. this is about a proposal that never got off the ground, it never went anywhere, to build a trump tower in moscow. that would be a combination of hotel, offices, residences and retail. and michael cohen at the time was a lawyer working for president trump on the project. he has told a federal judge this morning, that he lied a year ago when he testified to congress that the work on the project stopped before the trump campaign began in earnest in 2016. he said the work on the project was essentially over by the time of the iowa caucuses. that's what he told the senate. today, he said in court that was incorrect, that the work went on beyond that.

that's the nature of the lie. now, it's not directly about election meddling. the president, though, has said and said during the campaign, that he had nothing to do with russia, suggesting there were no real estate deals. but cohen has said that there were deals and that work on them continued as the president was beginning to campaign in 2016. this is an indictment brought by robert mueller's special prosecutor. so the significance of this, i think, craig, is two-fold. number one, is shows that cohen is in fact cooperating with the mueller investigators. remember, that he pled guilty earlier this year to a series of charges involving taxi deals in new york. and also his work to facilitate payments for the president, suggesting that was a campaign finance violation. so, this demonstrates that he continues to talk to the mueller people. and secondly, this additional charge gives mueller's prosecutors more leverage over cohen. now, the president hasn't

yesterday addressed these charges which were just filed in court a short time ago. he'll be leaving soon for his trip for the economic summit and we'll see whether he says anything about it or not. but it's another sign of additional cooperation with the mueller investigators. but it doesn't relate directly to election meddling, craig. >> peter, as we're having this conversation, this is some video of michael cohen leaving that courthouse just a few minutes ago. what do we know about what's next for michael cohen? >> well, for michael cohen, there's sort of two what thes next. first, he'll have to be sentenced on all of the charges he faces but i don't think that's going to happen anytime soon. because his sentence will depend on the nature of his cooperation. and it's clear that he's cooperating with the mueller people. they want him to continue to cooperate. so what's next for him is probably more meeting with investigators working for bob mueller, and possibly

prosecutors in new york on other matters. what's next for robert mueller is, we keep thinking there are going to be additional indictments involving this question about whether people connected to the campaign were trying to get or had advanced knowledge of what wikileaks was going to release in terms of e-mails stolen from democrats and people working on the clinton campaign. roger stone and jerome corsi have been talking openly about the fact that the mueller people have been after them. so, it does seem like that would be the next shoe to drop. >> pete, for folks who have not been following the story as closely as me and you, michael cohen's significance inside the trump orbit. in addition to being the president's personal attorney at one time and his longtime fixer, what can you tell us about his relationship with the president, and what michael cohen could very well have knowledge about? >> well, his relationship with the president now is totally

deader than a door nail, because the president has thrown him overboard and said, you know, we were never really that close and he never really did much for me. but the fact is, he was involved in nearly every aspect of donald trump's life during the time he was his personal lawyer. perhaps michael cohen has overstated it to some extent in the past but it's clear he was very close to the president. and it seems that anything that the president would have known about it. >> and tom was inside that courtroom where all of this unfolded a short time ago, tom, good morning to you. i know we're waiting on the charging documents as well. i assume we have not seen those just yet. but what are we looking for in those documents, once we do get eyes on them? >> that's the right question, craig. in those documents we're going to see what the individuals want. both the prosecutor and michael

cohen said what they want. and we're going to be able to see the court documents. so that's a step. we're going to look for some of the specific details as to when the conversations involving the moscow project continued into 2017. was it while the president was the president? in other words, after inauguration? or was it during the transitional period before january 21st, i believe, when he was inaugurated? so that's going to be important. one other thing we didn't have a chance to discuss before, craig, when we've been on with you, is that in addition to this, is going to be reference to a letter from the southern district. and it means that michael cohen is actually providing help to federal prosecutors here in new york in their ongoing investigation. so this is kind of now a two-pronged approach. and it means that michael cohen is essentially helping out people here in new york, as well as people in washington. it means to underscore keith's point, rather, that one of the president's right-hand men is

essentially working for the government and helping them out. >> tom winter, thank you. >> our justice correspondent pete williams, thanks to you as well. all of this happens as president trump prepares to head to south america for the g-20 summit where we're told he's going to at some point have a conversation with russia's president vladimir putin. of course, we'll have much more on this throughout the day on nbcnews.com and msnbc and tonight on nightly news. the popular sporting goods chain, dick's sporting goods, is apparently taking a big hit to its bottom line following its decision to curb gun chris st kristen dahlgren has the latest. >> reporter: this morning, the sports retail giant feeling the effects of its gun policy. "the wall street journal"

reporting that sales at dick's sporting goods are down, nine months after the chain rolled out tougher restrictions on firearm purchases. highlighting the electronics and hunts departments setting a conference call between executives and analysts. sales online in stores reportedreport d reportedly fell 3.4%. saying they would no longer sell guns to buyers under 21. and end the sale of high capacity magazines. they weren't allow. myers's and walmart stores followed suit. halting sales to customers younger than 21. those actions coming in the wake of the country's darkest days. the mass shooting at marjory stoneman douglas high school took 17 lives and served as the catalyst for the change. >> all our president and

government can do is send thoughts and prayers. and it's time for the change we need to see. >> when we looked at those kids and we saw the grief that they were going through and how these kids organized to really have their voices heard, we talked amongst ourselves and said if these kids can be brave enough to do this then we should be brave enough to make a stand ourselves. >> reporter: and for dick's, the company revealing they had sold a firearm to the shooter, though not one in the massacre. >> we followed all of the rules and he was able to buy a gun from us. >> reporter: a company deeply impacted by a devastating tragedy, paying the price for a difficult stand. on that, the company points 0 out that gun sales are down industrywide. that doesn't really happen in

republican administrations when people aren't worried about gun reform. >> thank you. meanwhile, there's an explosive new twist tied to sex assault allegations between les moonves. this morning, new accusations have surfaced that could impact his $120 million exit package. miguel almaguer has the latest on that. >> craig, good morning. a new report from the "the new york times" reveals text calls and information between les moonves and a hollywood manager about the sexual assault act of an actress 20 years ago. now he may not be able to walk wei with the big serveence. >> reporter: the actress with

the assault of les moonves more than two decades ago. in a report to "the new york times," phillips calls a 1995 incident that she says took place during a meeting in moonves' office. at the time, he was president of warner brothers television. according to phillips recollection, moonves exposed himself to her saying, be my girlfriend and i'll put you on any show. she says he then grabbed her by the neck, pushed her to her knees and forced her to perform a sex act. she said they were interrupted by a phone call that allowed her to escape. phillips' manager tells the "times" that days after the incident saying moonves had violated her but didn't go into detail. in a statement to the "times," moonves says i strongly believe that the sexual encounter with miss philips over 20 years ago was consensual.

over the past years, moonves said he and phillips have exchanged hundreds of text messages. >> moonves agrees early on in the exchanges is the sense that he's desperate to keep her from talking. >> reporter: in an effort to buy her silence, dower told the "times," moonves offered her acting jobs which she turned down. according to the article, it's that detail that led to moonves' exit from cbs. >> i'm not going to say the cover-up is worse than the crime here because what happened here is really very bad. but what really is going to hurt moonves and make it difficult to collect his servence is the cover-up. >> reporter: when asked to comment, dower told cbs news, i don't like liars, that pretty much sums it up. in a conversation with dower last year, she wrote in a facebook message, i am feeling

anger that moonves is not sorry. and is calling me a liar, basically, adding i will not be made a victim again. that $120 million payout hangs on the investigation into moonves' conduct during his 23 years at the company. in a text message moonves allegedly wrote, if bobbi talks, i'm finished. we have reached out to moonves' reps but we have not heard back. now to troubling findings on new tests of effectiveness of headlights that all drivers need to know about. as joe fryer explains, the results may surprise you. >> hey, craig. when the insurance institute for highway safety first started evaluating headlights, only two of the vehicles tested got the highest rating of good. this year, although there's some improvement, nearly half of the

ratings still earned marginal or poor ratings. >> reporter: across the country, more than half of car fatalities happen at night. and now the highway safety is revisiting what it says is a big problem, headlights. >> about half of the models that we tested don't have adequate headlights that provide adequate visibility for the driver. >> reporter: poor rated headlights could mean life or death. it shows pedestrians at 140 feet and these deer at 220 feet. in contrast with poor headlights, you'd have to be driving 40 miles an hour to have enough time to avoid a crash. but safety is not standard. good rated headlights are not required by law, and they're often only available when bundled into luxury packages that can raise prices by thousands of dollars. >> consumers shouldn't have to pay extra for good rated headlights.

it should be a standard feature for all consumers. >> reporter: over 420 headlight versions tested by the institute, 6% earned a marginal or poor rating and only the genesis g90 or lexus. and toyota offered most with good or acceptable. and popular like ford 150 and chevy silverado only offer poor-rated head lights. chevy declined the request for comment. ford has yet to comment. >> hey, joe, what can drivers do to make sure their headlights are safe to use? >> the insurance institute recommends test driving the vehicles at night to see how they perform. or go to the website for the ratings. they'll be out in december. >> joe fryer, thank you. let's welcome mr. roker back in for more on the storms, what are we seeing, al?

>> well, craig, we're watching heavy rain making its way from l.a. to point south into san diego. and in the sierra nevada, we're seeing snow developing which is good news as far as the snow pack is concerned. what we look for today, as far as showers as we said, heavier rains from san francisco to l.a. med fro medford, oregon, as well.

and that's your latest weather. coming up justice denied. a multimillionaire with high powered connections given an extraordinary sweetheart deal in a troubling sex abuse case. this morning his alleged victims are speaking out. and the clinic inside a walmart giving new meaning to retail therapy. first, this is "today" on nbc. ♪

still ahead, we cannot wait. h hugh jackman is coming here. >> cher's been surprising audiences at the new broadway musical that's all about her. first, your local news. you gotta see this! ♪ owen's gonna do it! ♪ come on, come on, come on! ♪ he's gonna do it! ♪ alright! i'm ready. yes! let's go, let's go! i got him. hey owen. let's go, let's go, let's go. alright! come on! come on! yeah!

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three, two, one. >> that's a pretty tree. we're back. last night's tree lighting in washington set a glow down in our nation's capital. >> that one's lit up. ours is lit up. speaking of big events, we have a huge show tomorrow. how is this for a lineup? tom hanks, bono and dolly parton. >> a good show. that will be tomorrow. let's start this thursday morning with a check of today's headlines. new details this morning about president trump's written answers to questions from robert mueller.

two sources familiar with the matter say the president told mueller he was not told beforehand about the trump tower meeting with donald trump junior and the russian lawyer promising dirt on county county. the sources also say mr. trump wrote his former campaign adviser, roger stone, did not tell him in advance that wikileaks planned to release e-mails about the clinton campaign. meanwhile president trump fueling speculation that he could pardon paul manafort. telling the new york post, quote, it was never discussed, but i wouldn't take it off the table. stunning allegations this morning from adult film star stormy daniels about her lawyer michael avenatti. daniels said avenatti sued trump for defaming her against her wishes and said he launched a new crowd funding campaign without her permission. daniels said she has not decided what to do about her legal representation going forward.

avenatti said he is stormy's biggest champion. i have personally sacrificed an enormous amount of money supporting her because i believe in her. fears of mud slides, debris flows and flooding in california. the threat is especially great in areas where wildfires have stripped the vegetation. some residents are evacuating their homes again. others filled sandbags trying to protect their property. the same storm system is expected to bring heavy snow across the midwest and a lot of rain to parts of the south and the east. al will be along with the forecast. now to a bomb shell report shining new light on a controversial plea deal. it was give ton a wealthy man accused of sexually abusing dozens of underage girls. stephanie gosk joins us with the latest. this is really disturbing. >> it is. a year-long investigation the

miami herald said it located 60 women who say they were molested or abused by this man. one tells the herald this is about justice. not just for them but for, quote, other victims who aren't olympic athletes or hollywood stars. this is video of his home taken by investigators during a search of the multimillionaire's palm beach mansion. it's where he was involved with at least 40 underage girls. some of whom he had sex with. several of his accusers speaking out for the first time to the miami herald. >> i was 16. >> i was 16. >> i started going to him when i was 14, 15. 14, turning 15. >> reporter: a report from the police department alleges the girls were promised money in exchange for massages. and that a female who recruited young teens for the tycoon allegedly told one victim, the

more you do, the more you get paid. >> he just laid down in his towel on his stomach. he was just talking to people on the phone. when he flipped over, that's when he said okay, you can go ahead and take off your shirt and pants. >> reporter: the accounts include accusations from indecent exposure to inappropriate touching, to rape. the then underage girls say they were lured by the cash. >> my mother was on drugs at the time, and she couldn't provide for me, and i was pretty much homeless. >> reporter: a former palm beach police chief says many of the girls didn't know each other but had the same story. >> we believe this would end in a prosecution that would incarcerate this man for the remainder of his life. >> reporter: federal prosecutors had a 53-page indictment ready to go, but the hedge fund manager who famous sli palled around with trump, clinton, and

prince andrew, never faced the serious charges. instead a plea deal was struck. he pleaded guilty to two counts of solicited prostitution and only served 13 months in a jail. >> he arranged work release. he had a driver that he hired to pick him up at the jail every day, and essentially drive him to an office. >> reporter: the former u.s. attorney who approved the deal is now president trump's secretary of labor. and a possible pick for attorney general. a labor department spokesperson says the u.s. attorney's office defended the deal across three administrations. pointed out that secretary acosta was asked about the plea deal during his confirmation hearing last year. >> professionals within a prosecutor's office decide that a plea, that guarantees that someone goes to jail, that guarantees that someone register

generally and that guarantees other outcomes is a good thing. >> reporter: the former palm beach police chief disagrees. >> i think almost the entire system failed them. >> reporter: the 2008 agreement protects the man and anyone who worked with him from federal charges. he is a registered sex offender but can travel freely to homes in new york, florida and the krab yan. alleged victims are fighting to get his deal thrown out emboldened by the me too movement. they want their stories heard. >> shocking allegations. and the fact that even when he was in prison he was free to go. does he have anything to say about this? >> he has been silent. monday is going to be a big day for him and these victims. a number of them will be in court for a civil trial between epstein and a lawyer for the victims. they will be able to testify and tell their stories. it's the first time any of them will have ever had a chance to tell their story in court. >> just to hear from them, the

allegations are so disturbing, and then so many questions about this sweetheart plea deal he got from a prosecutor. >> and the women coming forward now, and we look at it in the context of the me too movement, they feel it's emboldened them to tell their stories. the miami herald dedicating a year to this investigation. it's a block buster story. >> it's hard to read but important. we're going to head over to mr. roker for a check of the weather. temperatures changing. an upper level low in california. the jetstream up to the north allowing the warm air. it's going to be where we start to see that severe weather. here in the northeast and midwest, temperatures way below normal. cincinnati, 39. charlotte at 53. for tomorrow boston only at 41. new york city is 44. rochester 36 degrees. what we'll see is temperatures starting to moderate by sunday.

pittsburgh at 59. boston coming up at 8:00, we'll have the latest on this coast to coast storm that's going to be affecting much of the country. still ahead this morning, a heart broken couple speaking out with a very powerful message. they're warning all families about the social media stunt that claimed the life of their son. and then an inside look. the newest hit on broadway, the

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>> announcer: this is an nbc news special report. here's lester holt. >> we have breaking news this morning. tenemos noticias. el presidente moments ago, president trump left the white house to begin his trip to the g-20 summit. he took questions about the morning's major news and the russia investigation. michael cohen, the president's longtime personal attorney pleaded guilty in a new york courtroom saying he lied to congress about a trump tower deal in russia. we'll hear from the president in a moment. first, let's bring in pete williams. pete, what's the essence of what cohen said in court today? what does it mean? >> he admitted he lied to congress, the senate intelligence committee when he said work on a never completed project to build a trump tower in moscow ended before the presidential xanl began. he said it kept going until mid 2016, at least five or six more months.

he lied when he couldn't recall contact with russian officials. when he was in contact with the press secretary of putin. they needed help acquiring land and financing. and lied when he said he never planned to travel to russia. when he talked about his own travel and contemplated whether mr. trump should go there. it gives mueller more leverage and insight. president trump said he never had anything to do with russia. the question is when he said that, was he still involved in trying to get trump tower built in moscow, lester. >> this once again confirms cohen is actively talking to the mueller team. he pled guilty months ago in a separate prosecution, correct? >> it shows that the mueller people have more leverage. >> here's the president. this was recorded a few moments ago. >> as i understand it, and the senate, he put out a statement talking about a project which was essentially, i guess, more of less of an option that we

were looking at in moscow. everybody knew about it. it was written about in newspapers. it was a well-known project. it was during the early part of '16. and i guess even before that. it lasted a short period of time. i didn't do the project. i decided not to do the project. soy didn't do it. so we're not talking about doing a project. we're talking about not doing a project. michael cohen, what he's doing, he was convicted, i guess, you'll have to put it into legal terms. he was convicted with fairly long-term sentence on things totally unrealitied to the trump organization. having to do with mort yagages cheating the irs, perhaps. he was given fairly long jail sentence. and he's a weak person. and by being weak, unlike other people that you watch, he is a weak person. and what he's trying to do is

get a reduced sentence. so he's lying about a project that everybody knew about. i mean, we were very open with it. we were thinking about building a building. i guess we had a form. it was an option. i don't know what you would call it. i decided ultimately not to do it. there would have been nothing wrong if i did do it. that was my business. >> when did you decide not to do this? >> he's lying, very simply, to get a reduced sentence. >> did you tell him -- >> i don't hear. i don't hear anything. [ no audio ] >> when i run for president, that doesn't mean i'm not allowed to do business. i was doings a lot of different things when i was running. after i won, obviously, i don't do business. from january 20th. but more importantly, which is a following year. but, i ran a business.

in fact, i often joke about the fact that i was the only person that campaigned and simultaneously ran a business. but that was -- that was a project that we didn't do. i didn't do. that was a project that wasn't done for a lot of reasons. number one is that -- i was really not that i had to do it, but i was focused on running for president. i wanted that t to be my primary focus. not running or building a building. [ inaudible question ] >> well this was a deal that didn't happen. that was no deal. if you look -- this was an option. i guess -- i don't know if i want to be have specific. to my way of thinking, it was an option that i decided not to do. so we didn't -- so if you look, we really didn't have, excuse me. excuse me. excuse me. this was an option. in a form.

but here's very simple. we had a position to possibly do a deal. to build a building of some kind in moscow. i decided not to do it. the primary reason, there could have been other reasons, but the primary reason it was very simple. i was focused on running for president. there would be nothing wrong if i did do it. i was running my business while i was campaigning. there was a good chance that i wouldn't have won. in which case i would have gotten back into the business. why should i lose lots of opportunities. so here's the story. go back and -- look at the paper that michael cohen wrote before he testified in the house and/or senate. it talked about his position. what he's trying to do, because he's weak person. and not a very smart person. what he's trying to do is end -- and it's very simple. he's got himself a big prison sentence.

and he's trying to get a much lesser prison sentence by making up a story. now here's the thing. even if he was right, it doesn't matter. because, i was allowed to do whatever i wanted during the campaign. i was running my business. a lot of different things during the xanl. so very co herks n is lying. and he's trying to do things that have nothing to do with me. think you should go back to i think it was january. it was reported by katherine harris. a terrific reporter on knock. she talks about a letter that he signed. i don't even remember it. it specifically talks about this deal. this deal was a very public deal. everybody knows about this deal. i wasn't trying to hide anything. okay. [ inaudible question ] >> i cannot understand you.

>> supporting groups like -- in pallen stein. so what are you -- when you see putin, what are you going to tell him? >> we're going talk about it. we have a lot of things to talk about. jeff? >> you're going into a summit. what is your intent about a trade deal with china? what do you expect to say to mr. xi? >> think we're close to doing something with xhin that. i don't know that i want to do it. we have right now billions and billions of dollars coming into the united states in the form of tariffs or taxes. soy really don't know. but i will tell you that -- think china wants to make a deal. i'm open to making a deal. but frankly, i like the deal we have right now. >> are you going meet with putin? if so, what are you going tell him? >> i probably will be meeting with president putin. we haven't terminated that meeting. i was thinking about it. but we haven't. think it's a good time to have the meeting. i'm getting a full report on the plane as to what happened with respect to that.

and that will determine what i'm going to be doing. okay, thank you. >> you said you were getting a full report on tuesday. did you get that? >> i have a couple of reports. we're getting a finalized report, are you talk about on the russian situation with the ship and the ukraine? we're getting a finalized report. i'll have it on the plane sometime today. >> why are you meeting with the crown prince? >> it just wasn't set up. >> the denial of -- >> it only wasn't set up. i would have met with him. but we didn't set that one up. >> why? >> i'm meeting with president xi. a very important meeting having to do with trade. i'm making about three or four meetings. we just didn't have time. >> if cohen -- >> the americans are held in -- >> i'm going to bring it up, yes. i don't hear you. you have the talk. see that, you have a helicopter.

>> pardoning paul manafort. >> no, the question was asked yesterday about pardons. it's very sad what's happened to paul. the way he's being treated. i have never seen anybody treated so poorly. the question was asked of me by "the new york post." i said, no, i have not offered any pardons. think they asked, whatever, would you? i said, i'm not taking anything off the table. that was done as a question from "the new york post." >> did you tell michael cohen what to tell -- >> go ahead. >> if cohen is such a bum, why did you hire him, have him on your payroll for 12 years and have him do so much of your dirty work? >> because a long time ago he did me a favor. a long time ago he did me a favor. no, not at all. not at all. i'm not worried at all about him.

you take a look at his written document. go back, take a look what he wrote in, think, january. he has a written statement. and -- that's the fact. yeah? >> you said you had no -- mr. president. >> there is a -- who wants to push people in europe. france, we don't want the european union to be like trump's america. what do you want to say to them? >> i don't know -- you can't with the helicopter. say it? a possible shutdown if we don't get the wall money. very possible. we're in negotiation. we don't get border security, possible shutdown. >> president trump in an impromptu meeting with reporters before he gets on the helicopter. you heard the noise in the back

grounld. on his way to the g-20 summit. a lot of questions having to do with michael cohen, his former personal attorney. who pleaded guilty today on a charge of lying to congress with specific regard to a trump tower project. a proposed project in moscow. and it regards earlier statements he made about the scope of that project and whether work continued into the xanl. the president, you heard there, saying, it wouldn't matter. he said it didn't continue into the xanl. his focus was on running for president at the time. let me bring in pete williams, who has been working with me. to the president's remarks that even if this work on the proposal had gone well into 2016, would it matter legally? >> no, of course, there would be nothing illegal about it. he wasn't the president of the united states in 2016. so this whole question of the so-called emoluments clause wouldn't have arisen.

the only significance is pretty big. does this suggest connections with moscow, because, michael cohen, one of the things he said was he was in touch with vladimir putin's office about this. talking to his press secretary. and by he, i mean, cohen. he, cohen was doing this. talking to the russian officials trying to get the thing going. they couldn't get traction. they were trying to get help securing the land and getting financing. the russians never gave them any of that. the question for mueller is, does this suggest connections to vladimir putin's office that could have been the same conduits used to med until tdle election. there's no suggestion. absolutely no suggestion in any of these court documents or anything about what michael cohen said today that would go to that russian meddling thing. this is totally about the abandoned project to build this massive trump tower in moscow.

but what michael cohen is saying here is that he wrote a two-page letter to the congress in august of last year. and then testified to the senate intelligence committee in october of last year. both times said falsely now, he says, that the work on this thing was totally over by january of 2016. as the presidential campaign was heating up. now he says it was still going nonju on in june. cohen said he was still trying to get it going. he says he falsely told congress that he, cohen, never tried to travel to moscow on this. in fact, he now says he did. and the third thing he says is, he made a false shame that he didn't recall contacting any government officials when, in fact, he was in touch with these people from vladimir putin's office about trying to get their help. at one point he talked to people

in the trump organization on whether donald trump himself should go there. something that obviously never happened. it suggests a conduit between the trump organization and the russian government. naturally, the question for robert mueller's people is, was that same circuit, that same conduit used for something else. >> pete, let me go the kristen. a long period of silence in the midterm elections. and in recent days. one headline after another surrounding the mueller investigation. the manafort team communications. the president has been tweeting about it on daily basis. is there a sense that this thing is coming to a head? a sense in the white house? >> there is, lers. think what you're seeing is president trump increasingly embattled because of the russia investigation and increasingly lashing out. listen to the language he used to talk about michael cohen, his

former lawyer and advisor. his fixer, he referred to him as. now calling him weak and trying to downplay the developments. saying, look there was no deal. so there's nothing to see here. there's no significance. trying to pivot. take a step back and consider the broader context of this week, lester. as you point out. paul manafort, his former campaign chair who had an agreement with mueller. mueller accusing manafort of lying. it's raised the potential pardon. i put the question to the president, is he now leaning to a pardon. he told "the new york post" yesterday that it wasn't off the table. he reiterated moments ago, it's not off the table. i think you're seeing this increasingly become an issue for

president trump. they're bracing for the possibility of more indictments from the special counsel. you're seeing it in his comments and twooets. earlier today stweeting did you ever see an investigation more in search of a crime? and calling the probe a joseph mccarthy-style witch hunt. there was a headline related to the summit. he says he will probably meet with russian president vladimir putin. earlier in the week, he indicated he was vacillating over whether to meet or not. >> pete, i believe tomorrow, the prosecutors are going to have to explain a little bit more about why they think paul manafort lied to them and thus broke the agreement. what may we learn from that and coupled from the nuggets we learned today? >> at the very least what will happen in court here in washington, d.c., the judge will

set date for sentencing paul manafort. that became necessary when the lawyers for both sides, manafort's team and mueller's team, the agreement was breaking down. they might as well get on with sentencing. i'm not sure whether mueller's team will say much more about why the deal fell apart. we'll get that detail when they file their sentencing memo to the judge probably in early january about what they think the sentence should be. it's clear they're not going to suggest leniency for paul manafort. which is what presume bli he was hoping for by pleading guilty. michael cohen pleading guilty today to a charge of lying to congress with regard to the scope of a trump tower deal he was working on that may have extended into the xanl season. we're following this throughout the day. i'll be back with full details

it is 8:00 on "today." coming up, possible off the table for paul manafort. now accused of breaking his plea deal. plus, deadly mistake. >> our mission now is to save lives. >> how the parents of a teenaged boy who lost his life after performing a dangerous stunt for social media are turning their ainge wish into activism. >> it has to stop. >> hug your kid and tell them to make a smart choice. >> whey they want all parents

and kids to know. and hugh announcement. actor hugh jackman is here live. with major news about his next project. today, thursday november 29, 2018. ♪ boy be head to toe proud >> second trip to the plaza. >> to see the tree. >> my husband's sister back in michigan. >> friends trip. ♪ every promise would have some real value ♪ >> heritage high school. >> in midlothian, texas. >> from florida, baby it's cold outside. welcome back to today. we love that our crowd is here. and it's the very first crowd, the daytime crowd, to witness this -- >> it's spruce.

>> everybody came to say hello. let's get to the news. we start with breaking news. a surprise guilty plea this morning from president trump's former attorney, michael cohen. he's admitted he lied to congress about a proposed trump tower project in russia. justice correspondent pete williams is standing by with the latest. pete, good morning. >> reporter: craig, cohen said he lied about three things he told the intelligence committees last year about a plan to build a trump tower in moscow. he lied when he said the work landed in january of 2016. when it was still going for another five or six months. he lied when he said he never worked on travel to russia to help get the from jekt going. when he agreed to go there and talked about whether mr. trump should go. he lied when he said he couldn't recall any contact with russian officials about it. when in fact he talked to russian officials for getting help acquiring the land and getting the financing. president trump said this

morning he didn't do the moscow project. he said cohen is now lying, trying to get a better deal on the charges he pleaded guilty to in new york yeller this year. and he called michael cohen a weak person. today's guilty plea demonstrates michael cohen continues to cooperate with robert mueller's prosecutors as they look on russian meddling. back to you, craig. >> pete williams, thank you. nancy pelosi is major step closer to reclaiming the house speaker's job. democrats voted 203-32 to nominate pelosi to the post she last held in 2011. she needs to win over a dozen party holdouts in january. a small group of democrats have been calling for new, younger leadership. but they have yet to produce a challenger. despite a promise made to a house committee this month, the department of veterans' affairs

will not reimburse veterans whose benefits were underpaid. it said it could not make retro active payments woutd auditing previous claims. they say doing that would delay future claims. some veterans enrolled in school say they are are struggling financially because of change in the way the housing is calculated. quick programming note. tomorrow, our exclusive interview with tom hanks. we're joining forces to work with the i elizabeth dole foundation to support those who care for our wounded veterans. i'm headed to d.c. later this morning. and in the meantime, a holiday showdown in new jersey has people wondering, is there too much thing -- as too much christmas spirit. each year, tom apruzzi turns his house into a dazzling spectacle. 70,000 ligts. some town officials say the

crowds and the traffic are dangerous nuisance. they're demanding he pay the town 2,000 bucks a night for security and more for a shuttle bus to bring people to the display. he started an online fund-raiser. he says hi show will go on this weejd even if he has to pay that bill himself. how about a morning boost? b impaired and told the crowd the boy has something that made me think he's free, and it made me think, am i so free before god? the pope then prayed aloud for the boy, and the audience joined him. a beautiful moment. >> it was. just ahead this morning, new music from the legendary dolly parton to get you ready for her

live performance right here tomorrow. plus carson is outside with our man of the morning. >> hi. good morning. the most talented man on the talent, hugh jackman with the "today show" exclusive announcement. you are going to be the first oscar nominee golden globe win tore go to mars? >> it's a little like that and also involves carson and me and ice skates. >> t when you've crossed fruit of the loom off your list, you know your holiday shopping is complete. it's time to celebrate. [♪ ] [♪ ] kevin, i hav♪ your caramel brulee lattes ready!

the full value of your new car? you'd be better off throwing your money right into the harbor. i'm gonna regret that. with liberty mutual new car replacement, we'll replace the full value of your car. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ no matter how much you clean, does your house still smell stuffy? that's because your home is filled with soft surfaces that trap odors and release them back into the room. so, try febreze fabric refresher. febreze finds odors trapped in fabrics and cleans them away as it dries. use febreze every time you tidy up to keep your whole house smelling fresh air clean. fabric refresher even works for clothes you want to wear another day. make febreze part of your clean routine for whole home freshness.

♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ this morning. parents on mission. there's a new york couple

speaking out to warn other parents about car surfing. a dangerous stunt that ended their 15-year-old son's life. kate snow has more on this story. ryan's parents told me he loved soccer, animals. always had a smile. he lived on social media, communicating with friends through snapchat. it was a stunt he was taping that led to his death in september on long island in new york. they're sharing his story this morning hoping no other family will face the horrible news they did. >> our mission now is to save lives. >> it's a disturbing video posted on snapchat. matt and janice want other parents and kids to watch it and learn. >> we didn't even know about car surfing. when you started talking to kids, it was like yeah, i know about that. >> reporter: their 15-year-old son was car surfing. police say he and two other teens had been drinking and paid an uber driver $40 to led them surf. when ryan fell off the roof, he covered his face, appearing to

be in pain. his parents say that's the driver trying to lift him from behind. >> ryan was wobbly and dazed. they were a mile away from the emergency room. it would have been very easy to get him medical attention and that did not happen. >> reporter: authorities say instead, the uber driver took the boys to a friend's house for a sleepover, but ryan never woke up. he had suffered a traumatic brain injury. >> we have huge holes in our hearts. and what people don't see is that we have a grief that comes out of nowhere, and it hits you any time during the day. >> the enormity of realizing what forever means is when you think of all the things missed. the graduations, the weddings, the babies. >> reporter: ryan's parents turning their grief to activism. they want ride share drivers held to a higher standard and taught the laws of the road. >> maybe if there's a few uber drivers across the country that are going to follow the rules and make the right choice next time, somebody won't have to suffer like we do. >> reporter: the uber driver

pleaded not earlier this month to a felony manslaughter charge he no longer drives for uber. and his license was suspended. we were unable to reach his attorney. in a statement, uber said words cannot describe how deeply troubled we are by this incident. our thoughts are with the rider's family. janice and matt want people to think about twice about doing dangerous stunts just to let likes on social media. >> it has to stop. it's out of control. >> hug your kid and just tell them to make a smart choice. >> overnight snapchat told us our hearts go out to those affected by this tragic accident. no snap or video is more important than your own safety and the safety of others. >> you know, parents think they're doing the right thing saying their kids should take uber. it's a safer way to get home. i wonder if they're rethinking that. >> in my town, like so many others and the parents, the mullens thought they were doing

the right thing. take an uber so you don't drive. they want drivers to be credentialed from uber. it is worth noting that uber's policy says riders must be 18 to have an uber account and request rides. anyone under 18, the policy says, has to be with an adult. >> and take uber out of this. the other side is parents never want to think that their kid is somebody that's going to do something like car surf when the truth is you have to talk to your kids. >> i must have said it to my 16-year-old five times last night. don't do this. and if you do something stupid and get hurt, call me, call 9-1-1. you're not in trouble. if they had taken him to the hospital -- >> and the social media pressure. to get the likes. it's hard for us to understand how important that is. it seems to mean everything to teenagers. >> and the line is thin. the drake challenge. that's a car moving slowly. and dancing. >> that's dangerous too. >> yeah. >> kate, thank you. >> thank you. >> courageous parents.

let's shift gears. a check on the weather. a coast to coast storm causing problems. you can see it making its way into california and as this develops, it's going to be bringing snow on the northern side of it. severe storms to the south through the gulf. strong winds and snow into the midwest tomorrow. into saturday, and as we move into sunday, this pushes into the northeast with heavy rain, gusty winds, snow for the western great lakes. you can see we've got heavy rain down through florida. also into the mid mississippi and ohio river valleys. and the snowfall the dakotas into minnesota. parts of iowa, talking 4 to 6 inches, some places could get up to a foot in

and that's your latest weather. this is exciting. >> look who's here. carson is here, but hugh jackman, are you joining for pop start? >> yeah. i'm normally watching, but i thought it's time to step up. >> you are pop start. >> i have a lot of gossip for you today. >> do tell. >> it just went blank. >> you have a big announcement we're excited for. we'll get to that. we'll start with the tree we were all a part of last night. the tree officially here in rockefeller center is lit. i mean that in the cool way. we'll hear a lot of christmas music nonstop. that includes "all i want for christmas". mariah carey posted a video

coaching her kids the backing vocals. here we go. ♪ ♪ >> the ohs. and what? ♪ all i want for christmas is you ♪ >> is that your favorite? that thing is everywhere. >> and she just made another $80,000. >> there we go. kids are looking good. pink's husband made a parenting call. pink and her husband have two kids together. dinner with these two knuckle heads while mom works. bar food for the win.

he got a bunch of positive comments. pub owners agreeing pub food is the best. a new star featuring jennifer aniston. she decides to shake up a pageant scene by entering a competition. it's based on a book inspired by dolly parton's songs. dolly jumped on board to do the music. we get to see dolly performing a new classic of "joe lilene" fors movie. ♪ i'm begging of you please don't take my man ♪ ♪ ♪ jol nerks e jole nerks please don't take him just because you can ♪

great sounding song there. dolly parton doing that one live as we mentioned. in studio tomorrow. >> she's doing "jolene "? >> i'm coming back tomorrow for that. >> there you go. it's tradition for soccer players to enter big matches holding the hands of children. that proved to be too much for marouane ps fellaini. he's like, where's my buddy? where's my little guy? looking around frantically for the boy. just was aimlessly there in the background. he may have lost the kid but he won the game. the last-minute goal advanced the team to the knockout stages. >> thank you. one of the nicest men in

hollywood. you know him from his roles in "les mis" and "the greatest showman." >> now he's in "the front-runner." you may ask yourself, what could hugh do next? there can't be something you've not done at this point. but -- >> it's not wolverine the musical. >> not yet. >> not yet. >> you have a special announcement. >> i'm doing a big arena tour. it's a dream come true. i've done it in australia. we're going to europe. the uk. back to the you cuk. >> you're a rock star? >> yes. a one-man show. 30 sirngs and dancers. it's like, i'm on the back nine of my life. this is about the front nine. the best parts of the front nine. i'll sing stuff from the

greatest showman. les mis. >> story telling throughout it? >> yes. i'm going tell stories. i don't know about you guys. i love going a concert where i feel like something happens that night that could only happen that night. i have kiera settle, who plays the big lady in "showman." she'll do some things. >> how do you make it feel that big? >> i think whether it's 300 people or 13,000. it has to feel like a celebration. you have to connect. first thing i do is this. that's when i look at my wife. i look at her eyes. that grounds me. then i basically treat whether you're in the back or the front this is a night where something is going to happen that could only happen then. >> how did you pick the songs? the set list, if you will? >> it's really self-indid you

gent. i do my favorite songs. and you all sit through it. >> that's perfect. >> i try to do a variety. i want to do stuff from all the shows i've done. it's a mixed bag. >> what are you doing? >> i'm in training. tuesday, 10:00 until 6:00. dancing. >> what? >> you're all welcome to join. >> tell us about your vocal exercises. what do you do? >> i sing every day. >> you to have a kooky thing going? >> in the shower, you have to sing. i start with -- and then everyone is like, all right. shut up, dad. i'm like -- ♪ what ♪ why is it so annoying?

>> you have another announcement to make. next week. what? >> oh, yes. thank you. >> nobody knows what craig is talking about. >> yes, i am doing a duet with dolly parton tomorrow. next tuesday, i'm performing in the plaza. this is a bucket list on literally a bucket list of bucket lists. i'm going sing two songs that will be in the show. i have dances. a choir. you're welcome to join. >> don't ask. >> you want to come to reversal? >> yes. >> how much does debora, your wife, have to do with the things you pick for the show? >> oh, everything. i run everything by her. by the way it's her birthday tomorrow. a national shoutout forher birthday. >> happy birthday, debora. >> i always cook her breakfast. ♪ here's your breakfast

>> without the singing. ricotta hotcakes. sorry if i outed you. she loves that. and then we're all going out with the kids, the four of us later. and a bunch of surprises during the day. which could be code for i haven't worked it out yet. but it's not. >> very few, hollywood type relationships last as long as you and debora have. what sit? why do you think you have lasted as long as you did? >> we're honest with each other. we talk about everything. debora had a few rules. we never go bed on a cross word. sometimes it's 3:00 in the morning. we work it out before we go to sleep. we're never apart more than two weeks at a time. you have to be yourself. even the bits you don't love. things you did wrong. if you're in a situation where you can be yourself and be honest, it's a gad start. then in you mar ray, the

sexiest, most funny, most beautiful woman in the world, that's a great start. >> every time you talk about her, your eyes light up. >> you know, she's the greatest. >> they really do. >> when you say hollywood couple. it helps that we were together before any of that. we've been on this unbelievable journey. we have done it together. it's really hard. we all have friends who are famous. you become famous and you're out dating, it's difficult. >> are the family going to travel on the tour? >> i'm doing it in the summer. i told you, this is all about me. so -- they're all going to come. the kids are like, yeah, i want a job. a paying job? so they're going to work. >> how old are they now? >> 18 and 13. >> the 18-year-old can work legally. >> 10%. >> hugh, thank you. >> congratulations. >> i can't wait. >> tomorrow when you do that duet that dolly doesn't know

about. ♪ jolene jolene >> especially if you can't sing. at least you can sing. thank you, hugh. see you on tuesday. google hugh jackman. find out information about the tour. ahead, behind the scenes of broadway's biggest musical, the cher show. and steals & deals for the guys in your life. coming up. i )m ...

we )re in a microclimate weather alert. here )s a live look in dublin on the left - and san rafael on the right. you can see the wet weather still moving through. lets get the latest on conditions right now from meteorologist kari hall.

i )ll have another local news update for you in half an hour.

♪ it is 8:30 on the beautiful thursday morning here, november 29, 2018. can y'all see them? they helped us last night as we lit the tree. this morning pentatonix is collecting donations. they're going to head inside and perform for us live in a little bit. sweet. by the way, savannah left early. she's headed to d.c. for the big interview with tom hanks. she'll have that for us tomorrow. in the meantime, how about a crowd moment? >> we'd love one. you got one? >> i think i do. i'm looking for joey and carol. joey and carol. joey and carol. there they are. okay. where are you? hey. there you are. >> we're from greenville, south carolina.

>> oh, south carolina. >> near wofford. >> i went to school about to minutes away from greenville. >> you did, and we watched you. my daughter-in-law watched you on wis. >> thanks for coming. thanks for coming. who are these two? >> my sweet babies, caroline and jackson. if you can get us on tv, you'll save me a lot of money. because that's all they want for christmas is to see mommy and aunt carol on the "today" show. >> thank you for coming. merry christmas. >> merry christmas. >> christmas wish granted. >> very nice. well, coming up, we've got a behind-the-scenes look at one of the hottest tickets on broadway, the cher show. it's so hot cher has come to see it herself. for her looking in a mirror has to be crazy. jill is back at it. more holiday steals and deals. we covered the kids. we covered the ladies. this morning, it's all about the

boys. >> about time. >> you're going to get spoiled. meanwhile, coming up in the third hour here, we're going to take a walk on the wild side. it is big cat week, and some very special guests are going to join us in the studio. before the big cats, the top dog around here is sunny. a puppy with the purpose. they passed a huge milestone. sunny guided a blindfolded olivia through a 25-minute route around the upper west side of manhattan, provinged that he does, indeed, have a solid understanding the fundamentals of stopping at curbs and dealing the distractions new york city has to offer. let's give him a big round of applause. way to go, sunny. >> and olivia. >> and olivia. >> and olivia who is hiding back there. >> he did a great job. it was harrowing in new york. he just possesses all of those great leadership and fundamental skills. >> growing up so fast. mr. roker, a check on the weather? >> absolutely. let's look ahead toward your weekend.

for friday a weaker storm into the pacific northwest. mountain snows through the rockies. severe wet down into the lower mississippi river valley. saturday, severe storms in the southeast. heavy snow through the central plains and snow through the rockies. sunday, clearing and mild in the mid atlantic states. snow showers around the snow corners and a swath of show from montana to the u.p. of michigan. that's what's going on around the country. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. scattered showers rolling through. we had a heavy wave of rain that produced some thunderstorms in the north bay as well as the east bay. now as we look at oakland towards lafayette, concord, still heavy rain coming down and it's starting to clear towards san jose. you'll be able to get a break there from the heavy downpours moving through. as we can see, there's going to be a little bit of a break but still some more waves in our hour by hour forecast, heavy downpours in the afternoon.

don't forget you can take us with you wherever you go. just go to "today" sirius xm channel 108. you can listen at work, at home. oh, hoda? >> that's my favorite al roker move. every single person gets on tv. >> that's my favorite al roerk move. when it comes to living legends, it doesn't get much bigger than cher. now her story and songs are taking center stage. there's a new musical, and sheinelle jones, you lucky dog. you got to go. >> it was quite the spectacle. many of you grew up cher. she's one of the most recognizable icons in the world. her life story is being told through music in one giant broadway production. ♪ what am i supposed to do >> reporter: it's flashy and fabulous and so much fun. >> it's thrilling the whole ride. >> reporter: imagine six decades

of cher, packed into a two-hour explosion of hits. there are groups of people literally on their feet like they are at the concert living their best lives. they're leaving their troubles at the door. >> i think it's because the audience has invested in the story of cher. they've seen the roller coaster ride of her life, the ups and downs. >> reporter: it's a cher trifecta with three people playing different eras of the legendary superstar. >> we call it cher-apy. it is one woman. but she gets to talk to her younger self in a way as we would do like, why did you do that? what did we learn from that? >> reporter: you have the real woman watching you. and the people in the audience watching the woman they adore. >> we're trying to honor her and celebrate her and be interpreters of her story and her spirit and her heart and bring that to life on stage. >> god knows if a girl who's always been shy and afraid of people can do it, so can you. >> reporter: and on that stage, incredibly, they look, talk, sing, and even move like cher

herself. i mean do you just pull up youtube and start watching videos? how do you welcome cher? >> i did start with that. >> really? >> yeah. it's overwhelming how much footage there is of her. >> you don't get that every time to be able to watch who you're playing. >> i found my cher voice through crest white strips. i'm not kidding. >> what? >> i was bleaching my teeth one day, and i was reading my lines. and all of a sudden i started saying everything like this. and my husband said you found it. i said, what are you talking -- oh, my god, i sound like cher. ♪ is this how it will end >> reporter: the musical visits the key players. and you can bet, that includes sonny bono. >> he used to have that undercut bob thing. when we do "i got you babe" it has to sound like him. he's from the midwest but has a southern drawl to him. >> reporter: cher's never in the

show. but she is a producer. she was pretty active and involved in the story telling with this? >> very much so. >> our writer actually spent a few weeks with her every day. that's kind of how the script was written. >> she's even made a few surprise audience appearances. and she wouldn't be cher without those extraordinary gowns. it's a sequined spectacle of color by bob mackie who is even portrayed in the show. you were there in the beginning. >> i've known that lady over 50 years. she looks still amazing. there wasn't anything she didn't look good in. >> was there anything she didn't want to wear? >> she has an amazing charisma and presence. >> reporter: and perhaps what's most alluring about cher actual actually transcends

the glitz and glam persona. >> she takes her work seriously, but she doesn't take life seriously. it allows her to be funny and witty and smart and open. ♪ was i strong enough to live without you ♪ >> reporter: it's a story ant becoming strong enough to force your fear right off life's stage. >> cher gave me the gift of a confidence that i did not have before. there has been a freedom that i have just found in my mid 40s playing this exquisite creature that i don't think that i will ever shed. >> it is a party. it's like a concert. the cher show musical officially opens brondwadway next monday, december 3rd. i can relate to what the women were talking about. i had a chance to interview cher with the cast of mama mia. there are some celebrities even though they're busy, their schedules are hectic. when she talks to you, she's all in. >> yeah. that's cool. >> she's all in, and you feel like you get it.

so authentically just -- >> can you imagine those three playing cher, looking out in the audience and actually seeing cher? >> no. and that's happened several times now. and you know what? she's a tough cookie. they said if she didn't like them, she wouldn't be there. so she likes those ladies. they're fantastic. >> the crest white strips story is great. that's hilarious. coming up, holiday gifts for the guys. for the men in your life who say they don't need anything, jill is about to prove them wrong. >> take notes. >> steals and deals, but first this is "today" on nbc. this little home of mine,

♪ i'm gonna let it shine. ♪ it's energy saving time, ♪ i'm gonna reduce mine. ♪ californians all align ♪ to let our great state shine. ♪ let it shine, ♪ the power's ours to let it shine! ♪

we're back with day four of our steals and deals holiday gift guide. >> we're checking off the list everybody on your list. we covered the kids, the ladies and today it's gifts for us dudes. >> finally. jill martin is here with deals you can't find anywhere else. we always love seeing you. we know we'll get cool stuff. >> i keep getting tweets, what about the guys?

here are the guys. lost my voice, but i'm going to get through this. with all the deals this week. let's start with the cutter and buck shirts. the retail is 80 to $135. that one looks good on you. the classic style is zippers. a lot of them have technology to them. it's described on our website, the moisture wicking material. all different things to play golf, go out at night. this is great for the guy on the go who wants to look fabulous. retail 80 to $135. deal is 29. first box, craig. >> i'm excited. >> the sterling original watch is the retail 400 to $625. these are fabulous. they come in a gift box. you'll be able to gift them

right away. swiss quartz movement and automatic. they're for all different styles. you have the stainless steal band. there's one for matching for women as well. >> or just -- >> the retail $400 to $625. the deal $69. >> are you matching watch types? >> we're not. >> we're the matching pajama types. last night at the tree. >> this is the fashion it blue tooth speakers. retail $95. really easy. hook up by blue tooth. four hours of play time. this is what i use to travel. the retail $95. >> come in pairs? >> come in pairs. there's two colors. the deal is $38.50. >> this is for the little man in your life. >> okay. the brook and company shave

sets. retail $180 dplch. you get everything in this set. beautiful. this is really a way to treat yourself at home. do you ever go for professional shaves? >> yes. >> i do. >> it's a nice thing to do and a nice thing to do at home and looks beautiful on the countertop. two colors. >> those seem pricey. >> the deal is $37. >> this is for all of you. i'll take this off. this is really cool. it's the vista shop smart phone photography set. you could have used this at the tree last night. retail is $129.95. it gives you everything to take amazing selfies. you can zoom in eight times the amount and get clarity and focus. take wide angle pictures informal everything is in a box in this kit. i have ours hooked up. i have ours hooked up. let's take a selfie here. >> it has a remote control. >> done. >> that easy. >> it's tv magic.

>> there. all right. that wasn't a good one. i need one more. fun. this is what we just took. really easy with the remote and great for the family. the retail $129.95. the deal $21.50. that's 83% off. >> impressive. >> on behalf of men everywhere, thank you. appreciate it. >> we might have to do the deals one more time? >> i think so. the shirts, the watches, the fashion speakers, shave sets and the photography set. you can find all the steals and deals right now on today.com/steals. jill will be back in the third hour with more deals. >> really fun. first pentatonix fresh off the fantastic performance last night at the tree lighting. first, this is "today" on nbc.

in the holiday season with the tree lighting. they're going to sing christmas is here. guys, you all look good with no sleep. i got to say. >> thank you. >> how was last night? i mean, was that the first time you've been there for the tree lighting? tell us about the magic. >> yeah. it was so amazing. it was our bucket list to see it. we've done that show before but we've never seen it light up. >> we had the best view. >> on this new album, it's awesome for in reasons. you collaborate with kelly darkson. d -- clarkson. did you know she was a fan? >> we went on tour with her and became friends with her. >> she's amazing. >> that old thing. >> it's unreal. >> you chose a song to sing.

what's the song? >> sweater weather. >> why? >> we like to take songs that aren't technically christmas songs and flip them and make them christmas songs. >> this one kind of makes you want to cozy up in front of the fire. here they are with sweater weather ♪ snoetd all i am is a man ♪ ♪ i want the world in my hands ♪ i hate the beach but i stand in california with my toes in the sand ♪ ♪ use the sleeves in my sweater ♪ ♪ let's have an adventure ♪ head in the clouds but my gravity's centered ♪ ♪ touch my neck and i'll touch yours you in those little high waisted shorts ♪ ♪ she knows what i think about and what i think about ♪ ♪ one love two mouths one love one house ♪ ♪ no shirt no blouse just us you

find out ♪ ♪ nothing that i wouldn't want to tell you about ♪ ♪ because it's too cold for you here ♪ ♪ and now so let me hold both your hands in the holes of my sweater ♪ ♪ the holes of my sweater ♪ the holes of my sweater ♪ i may just take your breath away i don't mind it there's not much to say ♪ ♪ sometimes the silence guides a mind to move a place so far away ♪ ♪ the goose bumps start to raise the minute that my left hand meets your waist ♪ ♪ and then i watch your face put my finger on your tongue ♪

♪ because you love the taste ♪ these hearts adore ♪ everyone the other beats hardest for ♪ ♪ inside this place is warm outside it starts to pour ♪ ♪ coming down one love two mouths one love one house ♪ ♪ no shirt no blouse ♪ just us you find out ♪ nothing that i wouldn't want to tell you about at all ♪ ♪ no ♪ because it's too cold for you here and now so let me hold both your hands in the holes of my sweater ♪ ♪ because it's too cold for you here and now so let me hold both your hands in the holes of my sweater ♪ ♪ ♪ the holes of my sweater

♪ knows what i think about and what i think about one love two mouths one love one house ♪ ♪ she knows what i think about ♪ let me hold your hand in the holes of my sweater ♪ ♪ because it's too cold for you here and now so let me hold both your hands in the holes of my sweater ♪ >> we know why you have three grammys. that is awesome. that is pentatonixs. be sure to pick up their album. "christmas is here". you can see more on their nbc special pentatonix, a not so silent night. congratulations on all your

success. we're back in a moment, but first this is "today" on nbc. i am a family man. i am a techie dad. i believe the best technology should feel effortless.

like magic. at comcast, it's my job to develop, apps and tools that simplify your experience. my name is mike, i'm in product development at comcast. we're working to make things simple, easy and awesome.

i love pentatonixs. that's going to do it for us this morning. coming up, the newest edition of the cast of the marvelous mrs. maizel. and gift ideas for the hardest people to shop for. we're talking about your spouses and your parents. we hope you guys have a great what is today, thursday? awesome thursday. >> it's all a happening now...

this storm is causing some good morning. we're in a my crow climate weather alert as we track the rain that still comes in waves across the bay area. we just had a lot of heavy rain through the north bay. now it's in the east bay, over towards concord. this is pushing off to east. you'll get a break after a while. we did have a break in san jose.

now that rain is quogetting rea to return. and then also moving off towards the east. we are going to see some off and on rain. we've seen lightning taper off. we'll still have that chance throughout the morning. we'll be tracking that and also have more updates throughout the morning. >> happening now, the storm is also causing some havoc along the way that include alameda and san jose. one thought he could make it through the underpass but miscalculated. in the north bay, saturated soil brought down a tree on top of a pickup truck. luckily, no one was in the truck. at our midday, more storm coverage or head to our twitter feed for the very latest. a local weather update is coming up in about an hour. have a great morning. we )re not!

another storm is brewing and it may impact your weekend. kari tracks any changes to the forecast. plus: a bay area woman misses out on a hotel spa experience. her gift certificates were worthless. we get her money back. tomorrow morning from 4:30 to 7.

live from studio 6 a, this is "today." >> good morning, everyone. and welcome. i'm dylan here with al, carson and a special guest appearance by sirid daly. >> i feel out of place. where's my spatula? >> a lot more to offer than cooking. >> now it's time for meet the dalys. we have food