president trump predicts an incredible year ahead for our nation. but right now his credibility is being called to the carpet. in a new nbc news/"wall street journal" poll. a weekend scare for "snl" cast member pete davidson's well-being after he tweeted that he didn't want to be on this earth anymor we'll have the latest. then car shoppers beware. can you spot the car that was rescued from a flood only to be a ticking time bomb of corrosion? a double win day for one bears player who also got the answer he was and sir paul mccas out big-time ahead of his major u.s. ay"tarts right now. good morning. i'm marlie hall in for frances rivera. >> and i'm phillip mena.

so new insights this morning into what americans think about president trump and the mueller investigation. new numbers from an nbc news/"wall street journal" poll reveals a majority of americans now believe president trump is not telling the truth when it comes to the russia investigation. and 6 in 10 americans say president donald trump has been untruthful about that topic, saying the investigation has given them doubts about the presidency. this report comes after new developments into the russia probe including michael cohen's sentencing. nbc's tracie potts joining us live from washington. good morning. i hear rudy giuliani has ramped up his defense of the president over the weekend. >> he did. he went on tour on the sunday shows defending president trump. first of all making it clear that michael cohen will not be getting a pardon, that they won't even be talking about that. also making it clear that president trump will not be doing an interview with robert mueller in this russia investigation. "over my dead body" is the way he put it. he also talked about these campaign finance violations that cohen pleaded guilty to, the

payments to women who were alleged that he denies. giuliani said there was nothing illegal about that. >> it's not a crime. it's not a crime, george. paying $130,000 to stormy whatever and paying $150,000 to the other one is not a crime. the edwards case determines that. >> reporter: meantime, democrats here on capitol hill emphasizing the fact that the president, as they put it, was hiding a big deal that he was trying to do with russia, building trump tower in moscow during the campaign. it's one of the things that cohen pleaded guilty to. meantime, the president going on a twitter tirade over the weekend talking about the investigation as a democratic scam, and he called cohen a rat. back to you. >> happy holidays, right? all right, tracie, thank you. the "washington post" has obtained a draft of a new report prepared for the senate that shows the extent of russia's

interference in our 2016 presidential election. the report studied millions of social media posts provided by technology firms and found that russia used every major social media platform to help elect trump. on facebook alone the russian campaign reached 126 million people, and on instagram another 20 million. the report not reviewed by nbc news also revealing that all of moscow's messaging was intended to benefit the republican party. specifically donald trump. just last year facebook, google, and twitter revealed that they had identified russian meddling on their sites. the senate plans to release this report later on this week. as the threat of terrorism persists, the french citymaet a. they gathered vigil of grief and remembrance. a fifth person has now been confirmed dead after the gunm, chakat, opened fire last tuesday evening on the crowd streets there.

dozens of others werdeceased. and this morning a new development. the father of the gunman says his son was an isis supporter as a nation struggles to cope with this horrific form of widespread evil. french president emmanuel macron has paid tribute to the victims, visiting the site of the deadly shooting attack and laying down that white rose there as an homage. police here in new york were called in to check on "saturday night live" star pete davidson saturday after a troubling instagram post where he wrote, "i'm doing my best to stay here for you but i actually don't know how much longer i can last." davidson, who had been open about his struggles with mental health, made only a brief appearance on "snl" this weekend. nbc's kathy park has more. >> it's "saturday night live"! >> reporter: on the last "saturday night live" of 2018 viewers tuned in to see if cast member pete davidson would come to work. >> once again, mark ronson and miley cyrus. >> reporter: he didn't address a

preshow scare. earlier saturday the comedian started a post on instagram with "i really don't want to be on then deleted his ." account, fans and friends began to worry. machine gun kelly wrote, "i'm in the plane now on the way to see pete. gonna make sure he's good." jada pinkett smith tweeted "i'm praying for you, pete." the comedian put a spotlight on his struggles before on "snl." >> as some of you may know, i was recently diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, a form of depression. >> reporter: but this time the dark message came with a welfare check by the new york police. it's unclear what prompted his alarming post, but earlier he sided with kanye west and supported him for standing up for mental health, an issue brought to light during a twitter exchange between west and ariana grande. grande originally we including one that read "i'm so sorry. wanting everyone to be healthy and

just two months ago they were engaged. their relationship became part of his act. >> god forbid we split up and she takes half my sneakers. >> reporter: and inspired her number one hit. ♪ and for pete i'm so thankful despite their brief romance she shared her support for him on social media. a reminder that he doesn't have to battle this personal fight behind the curtains. kathy park, nbc news, los angeles. >> if you or anyone you know is in crisis you can call the national suicide prevention lifeline 24/7 at 1-800-273-talk. cbs is following up on a vow to donate $20 million to groups dedicated to eliminating sexual harassment after their former ceo les moonves left the company amid allegations of sexual misconduct. cbs announced that the money will go to 18 recipients including the time's up legal defense fund, women in film los angeles, futures without violence, and girls for gender

equity, or the me too movement. in a group statement the organizations thanked cbs for the donations and said that the money would helpve real progress but added that the funds do not erase or absolve decades of bad behavior. the $20 million were taken from moonves's severance package. the cbs's board of directors, they still must decide whether or not to release the remaining 120 million to the ousted ceo, who says that all sexual relations were consensual. now to japan, where a dramatic explosion at a restaurant has left dozens injured. at least one seriously. in all, 42 people were hurt when a powerful blast rocked a neighborhood in northern japan. this set off a fire that burned for six hours during the dinner-time rush. the blast destroyed buildings, house the restaurant and a real estate office. witnesses described the explosion as feeling like an earthquake. right now a gas explosion is the suspected cause, but the case is still under investigation. now to a bitter battle between the united statkorea. with north korea threatening to

shatter any deal at the increas denuclearization, even though no specifics were offered. nbc's ali arouzi joining us live from london with more. ali, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, phillip. indeed, a stark warning from north korea that the path to denuclearization on the korean peninsula could be blocked forever. the regime deeply unhappy about new u.s. treasury sanctions on three senior figures within the ruling elite over alleged human rights abuses. now, these threats and warnings shouldn't come as much of a surprise because those talks that kim jong un held, those historic talks that kim jong un held with president trump didn't really yield many results beyond a vaguely worded statement between the two of them and not much has happene new round of sanctions shouldn't come as a huge surprise. the u.s. has always maintained it will keep ratcheting up the pressure until results are produced. nor should north korea's reaction be surprise.

they said in stement that the state department was bent on bringing dprk and u.s. relations back to the status of last year, which was marked by exchanges of fire. a reference to the korean ballistic missile launches, nuclear tests, not to mention angry verbal exchanges between two countries' leaders. now, even though north korea said this pressure was a grave mitt calculation by the u.s., there was some praise for the president, saying that donald trump had shown willingness to improve relations. now, the two sides were meant to meet in new york in september. that didn't take place. and they haven't rescheduled any talked yet. phillip? >> ali arouzi, thank you for bringing this very important story back to the forefront. ali thanks. millions of people along the eastoa dryg off after days of relentless rain. the downpours flooded roads in virginia and maryland, causing traffic chaos and leaving some drivers stranded. at least six people in fairfax, virginia had to be rescued by boat. even animals needed help. this llama was pulled to safety

by the howard county fire department in maryland. the rainfall shattered records. 2018 will be the wettest ever for baltimore with 67 inches of rain and washington, d.c. with 63 inches. meanwhile, northern california remains under a high surf advisory as the national weather service warns of waves reaching up to 50 feet. five back-to-back storms are expected to hit the west coast this week. >> let's kick off the week. nbc meteorologist bill karins joining us. >> we're not done in d.c. either. we're going to keep adding to the rainfall. two, maybe three rainstorms on the east coast before the end of the new year. let's fast forward. kind of quiet the beginning of this week. if you have travel plans on wednesday, thursday, friday, we're going to talk about this next rainstorm in areas of the south as we go through wednesday. potentially areas of mississippi to memphis all the way through panama city to pensacola. then by the time we get to thursday we take this rain up through the southeast with significant rain. atlanta, charlotte, to raleigh, d.c. late in the day on thursday. for the new york city areas and

new england friday's your day for the heavy rain and potential airport delays. eep that in mind thiseek as w advisories out there. if you want some great weather today the southeast looks nearly perfect for december. that's the december trend. warm and rainy. >> all right. thanks, bill. a florida couple made a christmas tradition part of their wedding. on their first date brad and jessica bond went to target and donated to toys for tots. and they've done it every year since. on their wedding day they invited their guests to participate, giving everyone gift cards and taking them to target. >> didn't matter if it was one date or relationship, it was successful. >> the toys will all go to

children in need this christmas. i love that idea. >> it is. great call. way to start off the marriage. still to come an incredible archaeological find 4,400 years in the making. ks to you, st. jude children's research hospital is changing how the world treats and defeats childhood cancer. we freely share our science to help find cures and save kids with cancer everywhere. and no family pays st. jude for anything... because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. visit stjude.org or shop wherever you see the st. jude logo. 00ears discover eucerin advanced repair it moisturizes dry, itchy, rough skin for immediate relief and proven 48-hour moisture for healthier-looking skin

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vicks sinex. breathe on. leading the news, a young man in chicago reportedly gave his life for his dog. police say 26-year-old tao jang fell through the ice at the mckinley part lagoon on saturday afternoon trying to save his pup. he was taken to the hospital in critical condition but died within the hour. authorities said the man's dog was retrieved from the water and is expected to survive. this morning the enduring mystery of ancient egypt has a new twist. experts have discovered a rare 4,400-year-old tomb. the tomb near cairo was untouched by looters and exceptionally well preserved. archaeologists are calling this a one akind discovery thanks to its rich hieroglyphic decorations and statues. officials say they expect to find even more treasures in the coming months as they continue to excavate. fans at the chicago bears game on sunday were in for a

treat. >> jennifer marie ross, lu be jennifer marie leno jr.? >> yes. >> will you? you accept? >> yes. >> you accept? >> yes. >> i love you baby. >> so sweet. left tackle charles leno jr. proposed to his girlfriend jennifer roth at midfield right after the team beat the green bay packers to win the nfc north. now he has a to celebrate, calling it one of the greatest days of his life. that's awesome. congratulations to them. zplik see why. we'll have highlights from that game in just a few seconds. it was week 15 in the nfl. let's start, though, with football night in america and the los angeles coliseum where the rams were huge favorites over the eagles. todd gurley had an early touchdown here but eagles backup nick foles would answer. handing off here to josh adams for the score. the game would be tied at 13 at the half. in the second half the eagles pulled away. the rams did have one last chance on this throw to tie it. but he overthrew it. the eagles upset the rams 30-23.

now to pittsburgh, where santa and one of his elves there trying to give the steelers a big gift ahead of christmas. big ben roethlisberger had two touchdowns. the steel curtain stopped tom brady not once but twice when he was in the red zone. in the fourth quarter the steelers stopped their three-game skid with a 17-10 victory. now to chicago. that new engagement went down after the game. that is a banged-up mitch trubisky. he still passed for 235 yards and two touchdowns leading the bears to the packers' aaron rodgers cld only the other team on that critical throw from soldier fie. in santa clara it was a back and forth battle. seattle looking for a playoff spot, trying to clinch it on this day but it was not going to be after richie james with this impressive 97-yard kick. russell wilson, he thougfought, though, as he always does.

very acrobatic catch in doug baldwin. the game would go to overtime tied at 23. but the niners have a pretty good kicker. robbie gould would seal it in overtime. san francisco holds on 26-23. just ahead, sir paul mccartney is just warming up for a major u.s. tour. we have got a preview. in one week... a lot will happen in your life. wrinkles just won't. neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair's derm-proven retinol works so fast, it takes only one week to reveal younger looking skin. making wrinkles look so last week. rapid wrinkle repair® pair with new retinol oil for 2x the wrinkle fighting power. neutrogena® unwanted odors lingering too long in your car? try febreze car vent clips! just snap the clip and insert in the vent to eliminate lingering odors for up to 30 days. try febreze car vent clips, available in a range of light to bold scents.

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dog ♪ ♪ it's been a hard day's night ♪ i should be sleeping like a log ♪ that is sir paul mccartney playing to a packed arena in london last night on the third stop of his freshen up tour. the 76-year-old former beatle played some of his classic hits like "hard day's night" all my loving and ob-la-diob-la-da. he knows how to pack a venue. >> he does. you've got to catch him while you can. 76 years old. starts in new orleans. paul mccartney in new orleans, can't find a better night than nap after a maryland third-grader lost a class election she got a letter from a woman who's been there. martha kennedy morales lost her class president election tie boy by one vote. when hillary clinton heard about it, she wrote that 8-year-old a letter. martha's dad frequently posted about his daughter's campaign on facebook and it caught at tension of someone close to

clinton. in her heartwarming letter clinton speaks from her experience, congratulating martha for running and saying the most important thing su fought for what you believed in and that is always worth it. >> that's so cool she took the time to write that letter. >> again, that is historic. you keep that forever. lost by one vote to a boy. >> absolutely. well, still ahead, buyer beware. what you may not know about the insides of that used car you're thinking about buying. ♪ the beautiful thing about care, is knowing that it's always there... ♪ walgreens. trusted since 1901. right now save 25% on your purchase at walgreens. sometimes a cough gets in the way of a good night's sleep. that's when he needs vicks vaporub. proven cough medicine.

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forecast. we are still watching still in new england a few icy spots pushing into higher elevations. we're going to get rid of that storm as we go early throughout the day today. we still have a lot of significant weather on the west coast we're going to be dealing with. one of those little pieces of energy from those storms comes down and we get more rain returning to areas from texas to louisiana and then this mess thursday into the southeast, friday on the east coast. again, if you have travel plans on those days it's not an ice or snowstorm but there will be some thunderstorms, there will be some heavy rain and there will be some travel delays at the airports. >> rinse and repeat, huh, bill? spidey spins his web to the top of the box office. you're watching "early today." . that's a win. but it's not the only reason i switched. the geico app makes it easy to manage my policy. i can pay my bill, add a new driver, or even file a claim. woo, hey now!

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we're back with a consumer alert. the problem that could affect the performance of tens of thousands of cars including many sold to buyers who may have no idea of what happened to them. the problem here is they were flooded during recent hurricanes. nbc's tammy leitner reports on how you can spot potential trouble. >> reporter: tina thought she found the perfect used car, almost new, low mileage and affordable. but hers is a cautionary tale. >> i bought the car, i pulled away, and within a minute soon as i hit the cruise controlhe check engine light came on. >> reporter: the chicago teacher later discovered the car had been in a flood and she says the dealership refused to take it back. if you think her case is rare, think again. about 750,000 cars were soaked and submerged during hurricanes florence, harvey and irma. some end up in this car are refurbished and sold. >> there are about half a million flooded cars that are back on the road according to our research. >> reporter: and while many of the cars are cleaned up, experts

caution looks can be deceiving. >> these cars literally rot from the inside out. flood water affects the mechanical, the electrical and the safety systems effectively turning those cars into ticking time bombs. >> reporter: even the most savvy buyer might not be able to spot the signs. >> we'd love to have you look at both of them and see if you can tell which one was underwater. >> okay. it's actually really dirty in here. ooh. this one's kind of dirty too. >> is there anything in here that says flood damage? >> no. there's nothing that says water or mildew. >> you want to check the trunk? >> okay. it's not wet. other one. it's not wet in here. hang up a second. >> you're gettingp there. this is the car that was in the flood. >> you are correct. >> yes! i was convinced that was the car that was in the flood because it just looked dirty. >> reporter: but there are some telltale signs. rust on the seat rails and the steering column. oxidation on the engine block.

corrosion on the fuses. gaps in the upholstery. and water lines on the seats. and a flooded car must reflect it on the title. >> i will never buy a used car again. >> reporter: she's got a new car now. but it was a costly lesson for tina and others who might not know what to look for. tammy leitner, nbc news. in theaters this weekend sony's "spider-man: into the spider-verse" spun its way into huge success. it brought in5 place at the box office. in second was clint mule" whichn estimate $17 million. and in third, thess "the grinch pulled in more than 11 million in its sixth week out. still going strong, that grinch. >> it's that time of year. it's the holidays. people want to see. thanks for watching "early today." i'm phillip na. >> andme iad lib live picture o

and chr and good monday morning to you. starting off the work week with a live picture from downtown san

jose. you can see the flickering light or really rolling light there of the christmas of the tree tree -- well, christmas of the park tree. >> well, it's a mouthful. >> it's monday. >> it's monday. >> let's get started. thanks for joining us. i'm marcus washington. >> and i'm laura garcia. it's rainy out there. damp roads, be careful. >> those roads are very wet. we have a lot of standing water, even as the rain moves out of the bay area. we can see the line moving through the m us, and as this sm winds down, we dry out for the rest of the day. still high waves along the coast, even as another storm