san mateo bridge that just wiped the lens and the drops are clear there. the roadways are slick, watch the transition. >> all right, take it easy out there. that will do it for us this thursday morning. >> live look in redwood city. have a greatern moing. good morning. powerful punch. the biggest winter storm in years, pounding the northeast this morning. a dangerous mix of snow, sleet, freezing rain and high winds. accidents up and down the st coast. tens of thousands without power, and the storm not over yet. we're live across the region. al is tracking it all. under siege. >> we're working on skeleton crew, and my staff is getting exhausted. >> the coronavirus surge overwhelming hospitals. >> people are going to die that

don't need to die. >> as the u.s. tops 17 million total cases on the darkest day of the pandemic so far. and new vaccine concerns. two health care workers experiencing allergic reactions. what you need to know about that. and a second vaccine that could be coming as early as today. plot foiled. a man with flight training and terror ties charged with planning a 9/11 style attack on u.s. soil. the insider tip that landed him behind bars. breaking overnight, money in your pocket. congress on the verge of a new relief deal after a months long deadlock. this morning, how much could be in those checks for americans in need, and how soon will they arrive? those stories, plus, capitol music. ♪ retiring senator lamar alexander

shows off his piano skills and christmas spirit with an impromptu concert on capitol hill. and even gets a colleague to join in on the fun. ♪ for a true holiday heart warmer, today, thursday, december 17th, 2020. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb, from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> hey, everybody. welcome to "today" on this snowy thursday morning. we told you it was going to happen, and it sure enough did, didn't it? >> yeah, look at that outside. millions waking up to a lot of snow, a lot of wind. it's slushy across the northeast. here we go. port jervis, new york, along the pennsylvania border. it is a winter wonderland. al is in a winter wonderland. >> right outside our window. we're going to check in with al in aen couple of minutes. a number a cities topped snow

totals for all of last winter in the single storm. up in binghamton, new york, nearly 3 feet of snow fell. our correspondents spread across the region. al is ready with the latest. we are going to start with gabe gutierrez. he's a few blocks away in central park. hey, gabe. >> reporter: hoda, good morning. the storm is blamed for at least four deaths across the east coast. tens of thousands of people are without power. in central park, this is more than we saw last winter. overnight, the most powerful snowstorm in years slammed into the northeast. in pennsylvania, where some parts saw more than a foot of snow, treacherous roads led to a massive crash involving more than 30 vehicles and at least two deaths. this dash cam video capturing a terrifying, close call. several first responders already on the scene of an accident jumping out of the way just before a truck sliding out of control can be seen careening

head first into their vehicle. in new york, several people were rushed to the hospital after a crash involving at least 19 vehicles. video of the incident captured on the citizen app. icy roads creating a travel nightmare in maryland. in baltimore, an airplane skidded off of the runway. >> it was one of the scariest things vi seen. >> honestly the largest snowflakes i think i've seen in my entire life. >> reporter: tens of thousands of people lost power in virginia. new jersey is under a state of emergency. >> this is a major, major snowstorm. >> reporter: the heavy snow blanketing much of the northeast. in connecticut, the wintry mess creating dangerous, whiteout conditions on the roads. in massachusetts, which could see more than a foot of snow, officials urging residents to stay home and avoid travel. >> we clearly haven't had to deal with something quite like this in quite some time. >> reporter: hundreds of flights canceled. rail service limited.

the winter wallop coming as u.p.s. and fedex rush to deliver coronavirus vaccine shipments. >> we expect to keep getting the deliveries and keep being able to turn around and get people vaccinated. >> further, right there. >> reporter: back in pittsburgh, good samaritans pulling over in the middle of the storm to help a woman stuck on an icy road. teaming up to push the car to safety. a warm moment in what has been a chilling year. >> i grew up in the state of vermont, so this is nothing. 6 to 8 inches, i have no problem being out here helping people. it is all about helping each other through these difficult times. >> reporter: again, here in central park, the storm here in new york city, residents had to sh shutdown outdoor dining and it is a treacherous storm. >> and al, you said it was going to pack a punch, and it did deliver. >> yes, our friends are going to be feeling ait a while longer. >> and 37 million people under

winter storm warnings and advisories and putting the radar in motion, and 14 degrees is cooler than that right now, and 14 in philadelphia and feels like 6 as you get into boston and wrap around snow as the storm intensifies. new york city is 6.5, and we will probably see more than that. the and 1,005 days ago is when we saw this much snow, and binghamton is when you will see more of this snow. they are at 40 inches of snow, and williamsport at 14, and catskill, new york, 13, and d.c. is picking up 2 to 3 inches of snow, and this is what we are looking for, and snow is going to end in the next hour or two, and new england wind and snow early as the storm system continues to pull out, and the snow ends for you in boston late in the afternoon, and the winds will pick up, and as you can hear them blowing right now,

additional snow totals from here on, and less than an inch, and 2 to 4 in portland and so as the winds intensify, look for more power outages as we get re mo into new england. >> and of course, al will continue to track the storm throughout the morning. but now to the coronavirus crisis. wednesday marked the single worst day of the pandemic so far here in the u.s. more than 232,000 new cases and nearly 3,300 deaths. just consider this, in just two months, the total number of cases has doubled from 8 million in october to more than 17 million this morning. hospitals across the country flooded with critically ill patients. we do have two reports. we're going to start with nbc national correspondent miguel almaguer. he is inside the icu covid ward at providence st. joseph hospital in burbank. good morning. >> reporter: hoda, good morning. this icu is operating at maximum capacity.

behind these walls, covid patients are fighting for their lives. nurses and doctors in the room are working 12 hours straight for 12 days in a row to try to do all they can to help them. it comes on a day when a record number of americans were infected and also died from the virus. in scenes reminiscent of early spring in new york, california is now a state in crisis. >> at this point, all our hospital systems can do is brace for these days and weeks to come. >> reporter: shattering records for deaths and infections, more than 60 mobile morgues are on standby. >> i'm scared we won't have room. >> reporter: across the state arenas and tents becoming rooms and hallways and labbies filled with patients. >> we're working on skeleton crew, and my staff is getting exhausted. >> reporter: the governor activating the state's mass fatality program. in los angeles county, ambulances are waiting up to six hours to offload patients.

>> people are going to die that don't need to die. >> reporter: with the number of icu beds dwindling, nurses in southernrn californinia are ththreatening g to strike e on christstmas eve. a crisis across the country. fears of a surge on top of a surge.e. >> we're going into christmas alreadady stretchehed to our m m ability. >> reporter: even with lessons learned in the past nine months, there are some things that will never get easier. >> it's very unnatural to not have loved ones close by. that has been the hardest part. >> reporter: but under the crush of bad news, a glimmer of hope in the form of a shot. >> shipments of vaccine will have been delivered to every delivery site identified by public health jurisdictions for our first wave of shipments. >> reporter: now, some hospitals are discovering some vaccine

vials have extra doses, which the fda says could be used to vaccinate more front line workers. >> an immense sense of relief that, today, this day is finally here. >> reporter: a nurse in alaska was hospitalized after an allergic reaction to the pfizer vaccine. the only such case in the u.s. she's now recovering at home. with hospitals already underwater, many fear what's to come in the new year. >> we could look back and say, boy, it was so many cases. >> reporter: workers in this room are set to get their vaccines later on today, and as early as tomorrow, the vice president and his wife are going to publicly get their vaccine to help build confidence. we're told the president-elect, joe biden, can get his as early as next week. hoda? >> miguel, you mentioned that allergic reaction to the vaccine. what more do you know about that? >> reporter: we know a second first front line workers also had an allergic reaction. his symptoms were fairly minor. both front line workers wanted to emphasize to the public they believe the vaccine is safe and

americans should get them. >> they're doing okay this morning, right, miguel? >> reporter: they are indeed. >> okay, thank you. there is some encouraging news for families hit by the economic impact of the pandemic after months of stalemate. congress appears closer to a new economic relief deal that could put more money in your pocket. nbc's capitol hill correspondent kasie hunt on the story. kasie, good morning. >> reporter: savannah, good morning to you it has been eight months since congress sent any help to americans struggling to stay afloat even as coronavirus deaths and hospitalizations have skyrocketed, and so many businesses have struggled to keep their doors open and their workers employed but this morning, congressional leaders acknowledging they're out of time, and they have no choice but to get this done. lawmakers overnight racing to cut a deal to send coronavirus relief to struggling americans many set to lose their unemployment benefits the day

after christmas. out of work americans and struggling small businesses have been waiting for help for months, while congress fought and the virus raged. >> we're going to run out of time so you can't go home who would ever go home when some people don't have a home to go to >> reporter: democratic senator joe manchin worked with republican mitt romney to try to find some common ground, but a final agreement up to mitch mcconnell and nancy pelosi. >> congressional leaders on both sides are going to keep working until we get this done. >> reporter: the details being hammered out overnight the $900 billion package will likely include a new round of stimulus checks, likely about $600 for every adult who qualifies, based on income extended federal unemployment insurance benefits of about $300 per week and more money for businesses struggling to pay their workers. left out money for state and local governments, liability protections for businesses, and significant support for restaurants, who say they need more help. >> the finish line is in sight

everyone wants to get this done. >> reporter: democrats willing to compromise because they're banking on more relief next year, after president-elect joe biden takes office but some progressive democrats are restless alexandria ocasio cortez telling "the intercept" it is time for fresh faces. >> i do think that we need new leadership in the democratic party. >> reporter: asked about her comments, bernie sanders, who ran against biden in the primary, said democratic leaders gave up too much to cut the relief deal. >> if you're asking me, do i think this bill was well negotiated, i don't. there should have been a lot more money in it than there currently is >> reporter: the house speaker, pelosi, has spoke to the top mnuchin, late last night her spokesman says they're going to start talking again this morning. the final deadline for this package, friday night, when government funding runs out and congress is scheduled to leave town for the holays.id savannah >> when you talk about the stimulus checks, that chunk of money, that's a one-time

benefit, not a monthly thing >> reporter: that is just a one-time benefit and the number there, that $600, is part of why democrats are upset with this compromise it is really much less than what congress sent to people back in march. you'll remember, there were $1,200 checks and $600 a week in unemployment benefits. we pointed out, democrats are counting on biden to send more help after he takes office, but there's really no guarantee they're going to be able to make another deal i mean, this one has been hard enough people, of course, struggling so much through all of it, savannah. >> kasie, thank you. in our next half hour, we'll take an in-depth look at what's being done to save the struggling restaurant industries one of new york's oldest and most beloved institutions has been forced to close moving now to another major story this morning the fbi says an al qaeda inspired terrorist was attending flight school, planning to come to the u.s. to fly a plane into a skyscraper justice correspondent pete

williams joins us now with details. pete, good morning. >> reporter: hoda, the fbi says this case is a reminder that overseas terror groups are committed to attacking americans and are still obsessed with hijacking airplanes to create a repeat of the 9/11 attacks in new york city. >> reporter: when philippine police took this man into custody, it generated intense local coverage at the time, but only now are the reasons behind it coming to light. the fbi says cholo abdi abdullah was part of a plot from an overseas terror group to hijack a plane and fly it into a tall u.s. building. abdullah, originally from kenya, enrolled in a flight school in the philippines three years ago. investigators say that he conducted research on how to hijack a plane, including how to break into the cockpit. they say he looked into how to get a u.s. visa and searched for information about the tallest buildings here prosecutors say the plot came from al shabaab, the al qaeda

offshoot in africa that made worldwide headlines years ago from killing 72 people at a shopping mall in kenya the decision to move the embassy from israel to jerusalem made the group plan to kill others in response it included a businessman at a hotel in nairobi tipped off by intelligence agencies, philippine police arrested abdullah in 2019 and he's been detained ever since. he was brought to the u.s. this week to face terrorism charges abdullah appeared briefly in a new york city courtroom on wednesday to formally face the charges. he pleaded not guilty. he was ordered held without bond he could face 20 years in prison if convicted, hoda. >> pete, on another issue, still on foreign attacks, the government here still trying to figure out how bad certain agencies were hacked by russia recently that's been in the headlines what can you tell us >> reporter: well, that's right. experts in cybersecurity say

it'll probably take months, if not years, to figure out what systems were compromised, and the u.s. may not know exactly what the russians managed to see or steal bossert, an official serving in the bush and trump administrations, said the logical conclusion is we must act as if the russian government has control of all the networks its penetrated it is unclear what the russians intend to do next. hoda >> pete williams, thank you. >> it is a terrifying op-ed when you think about the russians actually being infiltrating and still being there, and able to cover the tracks one to check out if you're looking at the paper this morning. back to al for more on the weather, more on the storm. >> just in from the national weather service, central park, 10 inches of snow. it is still piling up. the snow moves out of the northeast and new england. chilly in the south. we're going to take a look at how far down this cold air goes. above average temperatures in the plains another storm system coming into the pacific northwest and into the western plains

this one is going to go coast to coast but should not be as big a problem as this past system has been we're going to get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds that's so cool! [signs in asl.] "i needed this, wow." the design is amazing. it's very thin too. a, mine's pink! what! it's touchscreen! it's touchshscreen? i can't believe you got these for us. hello me! good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. let's look at the rain passing on by. it's been raining during the overnight hours and get rainy and head out the door clearing the south county and the rest of the bay area getting a chance to dry out. we'll see more sunshine for today as our temperatures reach

into the upper 50s and we'll see more days like this leading into the weekend. we officially welcome in winter on monday and we're looking at highs in the low 60s with some sunshine. >> and weather. guys >> al, i have something for you. >> what's that >> glasses de-fogger. >> thank you. >> when you were out there in connecticut, we noticed that your glasses -- >> thank you. >> that is supposed to work wonders. let me know if it works. >> i'll give it a try. >> we have to know with your mask, it fogs up. >> we've noticed >> we'll have more on the impact of all that snow throughout the morning with al. >> we will then no holiday markets or midnight mass as europe faces a new wave of the coronavirus and a high profile leader, the president of france, testing positive overnight keir simmons live in london with what igoing on overseas.s

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there's s no promo.. just grereat rates.. and a a side of raranch. you're t the man, maman. when y you want ththe real deal...likike a good n neighb, statate farm is s there. a very good morning to you. 7:26 right now. i laura garcia. including news on pfizer's vaccine and the one from moderna awaiting approval. i'm kris sanchez. we just learned that about 3,000 pfizer vaccines headed for california and alabama are now under quarantine because during transportation their temperature dropped too low. the army general managing logistics said, quote, we returned them immediately back to pfizer and sent immediately shipments to replace them. working with the fda, cdc and pfizer to determine if that anoma anomaly.

including emergency approval for the moderna vaccine. outside the santa clara county fairgrounds this county will start administering the pfizer vaccine to people who work in skilled nursing facilities. a little after that, weelg hear from the santa clara county health department. reaching workers in co i orconta and marin and rounds of applause as doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists received their first dose at john muir health. if you're just waking up, it was a rainy night across the y area. kari has a look at our forecast. >> seeing it pushing to the south and east and skies are clearing. as we go through the forecast, looking at sunshine and highs in the 50s through today and the next several days.

no more rain in sight at least through the next week and we'll have some cold mornings and frost to start out in the inland valleys. laura? >> finally feel like winter. another local news update coming up for you in about half an hour.

morning, everybody. 7:30. rise and shine. that's the scene in allentown, pennsylvania. boy, that snowy situation has repeated all over the east coast. we have a lot of snow. we got a lot of wind. one of the biggest storms in years. some states, some cities logging more snow in one night than they did all winter last year. >> all winter. if you want the know what's going on just outside our window, well, this is 30 rock. that's the skating rink where people come to enjoy. they have to get the snow off of it so people can come and do their ice skating. they're going to be busy folks out there today. we've got nbc's kathy park up north. she's in boston for us.

hey, kathy. good morning. >> reporter: hey, hoda. good morning to you. as you can see, the snow is coming down hard and fast, and it's piling up pretty quickly. there's about 6 inches of snow on the ground. once this system moves on out of here, there will be likely over a foot of snow. now, this morning, most of massachusetts is under a winter storm warning until 1:00 this afternoon. that's why the governor has urged people to stay indoors as much as possible, so that crews can continue working quickly and efficiently. this morning, in addition to the heavy snow, you see the winds are really picking up. power outages throughout the area is a big concern. as you know, bostonians, they're no stranger to winter storms. we are told that the most sizable winter storm was back in march of 2019. right now, at last check, the temperature here is only 27 degrees, hoda. the wind chill, it feels like just 5 degrees out here. it is very cold. the snow is sticking and piling up. back to you.

>> all right. time to get inside. live shot over. all right. thanks, kathy. we're going to have more on that storm from al just ahead. right now, let's go to the coronavirus crisis that's playing out across europe. >> yeah. cases are once again on the rise there, too, across that continent. overnight, this breaking news. we've learned that the president of france has tested positive for covid. >> the surge is leading to tighter restrictions ahead of christmas. "today" senior international correspondent keir simmons in london for us this morning. keir, good morning. >> reporter: hey, hoda. hey, savannah. good morning to you. the news out of france just breaking this morning. the 42-year-old president of france was tested after he suffered what they say was early symptoms. his wife, who is, of course, 67, not suffering any symptoms at this stage. it comes, as you say, as europe really battling with how many christmas traditions to cancel. this morning, france's president macron self-isolating for seven days, but still running the country, officials say.

in recent days, seen wearing a mask but close to other european leaders. in paris, christmas lights and a nightly curfew. europeans fearing the holiday season could cause a third wave. europe has now seen more than 15 million infections and over 375,000 deaths. empty streets in place of christmas markets in germany this week. its latest lockdown hitting the holidays. millions worrying over whether to see loved ones. the world health organization even urging families, if they must gather inside, to wear masks and not to hug. >> horrible thing to think that we would be here, as the world health organization, saying to people, don't hug each other. it's terrible. >> reporter: southeast england and london home to more than 10 million people now under the toughest restrictions. pubs and restaurants closed at what would be their busiest

time. uk leaders searching for the right message. >> a smaller christmas is going to be a safer christmas, and a shorter christmas is a safer christmas. >> reporter: but the government criticized for confusing rules and guidance. christmas shopping is still allowed. while across europe, there are many varied plans for christmas and new year's eve. in germany, four close family members from other households are allowed. in the netherlands, the limit is three adults. britain and ireland's limit is three households. hungary says no new year's eve celebrations, but sprain and portugal are relaxing the rules. portugal says it will not limit the size of christmas gatherings. a curfew in italy means midnight masses banned. even the pope will hold his traditional christmas eve service earlier. may this difficulty, he urged catholics, help us purify a

little the way of living christmas. but the holidays will be hard on millions of livelihoods. we want spectators, these french hospitality workers say. now, the virus hitting the heart of france's government. one of america's closest allies. and that macron news potentially impacting europe hard, hoda. just listen to this. he recently met with the european commission president, the prime ministers of sweden, portugal, hungary, poland, and spain. the spanish prime minister already saying he will quarantine. >> a lot of contact tracing there. so the uk has approved the vaccine. the u.s. has approved the vaccine. the eu not yet. what's the timetable? >> reporter: yeah, europeans are asking themselves that same question. the body that decides this has moved its meeting up to next monday, hoda, under pressure

from the germans. europeans want to get going before christmas, but they want every country to start vaccinating at the same time. meanwhile, in the uk, 130,000 people have been vaccinated in the first week. there are now stumbles. there are now issues. i think it is a lesson for the u.s., that this may be a bumpy road. another crucial point, hoda. we've made it many times, unless there are vaccinations around the world, we won't defeat the coronavirus. hoda? >> yeah. keir simmons for us in london. keir, thank you. just ahead, a first-hand look at the pandemic's mounting toll on restaurants, as the famed new york city institution, the 21 club, announces it will be closing indefinitely. what's being done to help the industry in crisis, right after this hey youtube,e, how's s it goi?

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special guest flo challenges the hand models to show off the ease of comparing rates with progressive's home quote explorer. international hand model jon-jon gets personal. your wayward pinky is grotesque. then a high stakes patty-cake battle royale ends in triumph. you have the upper hands! it's a race to the lowest rate, and so much more. only on "the upper hands." welcome back this morning on "in-depth today," the uncertain future of restaurants across the country. >> restrictions to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, as we all know, have taken a huge toll on restaurants the latest business now shutting down is one of new york city's most historic and famous clubs, the 21 club. nbc's anne thompson has more anne, good morning

>> morning. >> reporter: good morning, savannah and hoda. you know, for decades, the 21 club was new york's place to see and be seen. with toys and memorabilia dangling from the ceiling, it was the playground for the powerful and the famous. but like too many restaurants, it was no match for covid. the historic 21 club started as a speakeasy, tucked away from prying eyes. a place where, eventually, everyone wanted to be seen lifting a glass. >> hollywood spectacular, orson wells. >> reporter: the manhattan magnet drew poets and motion picture stars. now with the pandemic, the 21 club ending its legendary 90-year run, saying in a statement that reopening in its current form in the foreseeable future is off the table. adding that they're exploring potential opportunities to remain a viable operation in the long term, while retaining its

distinctive character. covid-19 has hit the restaurant industry hard. >> i have zero income. i haven't had a paycheck in 38 weeks. >> reporter: 17% of america's restaurants, more than 110,000 establishments, have shut their doors permanently or long term since the pandemic began according to the national restaurant association of those that remain open, many are just doing takeout, delivery, and outdoor dining danny meyer restaurant group, which grounded the tavern and shake shack just had to close a restaurant. >> we have to realize restaurants work on very, very thin margins, and they cannot afford to have been without revenue for this many months it just doesn't work. >> reporter: marcus samuelsson is a chef and author. >> i live and work in harlem without restaurants in harlem, the other small businesses are gone. >> reporter: still, there are glimmers of hope and community support. >> this is one of the hardest

things i've had to do ever >> reporter: angela johnson's heartfelt plea on gofundme brought in more than $100,000 in donations to pay her workers and keep the serving spoon restaurant open near los angeles. >> i needed to come over here and try and help support any way possible. >> reporter: many owners are now hoping congress will come to their rescue by approving the restaurant act, which would provide $120 billion to help smaller establishments >> we don't need more loans. we need grants so we can protect our employees the way big businesses can protect their employees. >> anne, part of the argument restaurant owners are saying is the money spent on them goes well beyond just their industry. >> reporter: absolutely, savannah speaking to danny and marcus samuelsson, they both said anywhere from 90 to 95 cents of

every dollar spent in a restaurant is reinvested into the local community. if you want to bring back the local economy, you need to invest in restaurants. because by investing in restaurants, you hire people and you provide that spark plug to get the economy going again. >> yeah. there's a real ripple effect plus, they're just part of our communities. it's not the same without them thank you so much. >> reporter: right they're our culture. >> they are. >> they really are. >> i was speaking to anthony yesterday at his restaurant, and he said, you have to open the hotels and have business like we say at 30 rock, you don't see many people walking by. >> things will get better, but this is a hard period. people can't hang on they need more help to hang on until better days. >> takes a lot. >> sure does >> buy some gift cards at your favorite restaurant. hold on to them and use them later. they can use that money now. let's show you what we have going on right now okay, so the snowstorm is pulling away the wind chills are a big factor

feels like 6 in boston, 2 in albany, binghamton as the system pulls away, we'll see another maybe 6 to 9 in portland another 6 in boston. 2 to 4 in hartford as that moves away, this departing nor'easter drawing in cold air from the north, plus a cold arctic canadian high plunges south. the jet stream is to the south tomorrow morning, it is going to feel like zero in albany, 14 in new york city, 17 in washington, d.c. that cold air plunges south. it'll feel like 27 in memphis. 30 in montgomery savannah, 37 raleigh, 29. and it's going to be chilly to our east temperatures from 10 to 5 degrees below average. as we get into the weekend, temperatures stay below average from cleveland down to macon into portland. warming in the plains. good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we're seeing the rain rolling off towards the east and

clearing the bay area. we're going to have sunshine for the rest of the day after that early morning rain. take a look at how cool those temperatures will be now that the front has passed. we'll reach back into the upper 50s but feel it during the overnight hours with some frosty conditions in our inland valleys as we dip down to the mid 30s. tomorrow morning and the next few mornings. >> and that's your latest weather. savannah. >> al, thank you. coming up next, major league baseball rewriting its record books. >> what the league is now doing for the very first time to honor the greats of the negro leagues. craig joins us with that story comingng up right t after thisis

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♪ f for auld lalang syne ♪ we'll take a a cup of kindndness yet ♪ ♪ for a auld lang s syne ♪ we'll take e a cup of kinindness yet t ♪ ♪ for a auld lang s syne i like it.t. happy y holidays.. ♪ ♪ 7:49 a landmark moment for the legacy of baseball. >> craig joins us now with that story. hi, craig. morning. >> morning >> hey, savannah, hoda, good to see both of you.

major league baseball announced elevating the negro league in status that means the home runs, pitching wins, other statistics of great players who were segregated out of the majors will now count just the same as the traditional big leagues. the commissioner calling it a long, overdue recognition, 100 years after the original negro national league was founded. >> satchel paige warms up his pitching arm. >> reporter: satchel paige, josh gibson, cool papa bell for years, it wasn't the talent of these athletes but the color of their skin that kept them out of major league baseball, along with its hollowed record books now, no longer wednesday, commissioner rob manfred announced major league baseball is, quote, correcting a long-time oversight in the game's history, by recognizing the negro leagues as a major level of professional baseball that means 28 years of statistics, like home runs and rbis from the seven major

circuits we know collectively as the negro leagues, will carry the same weight as ones hit by babe ruth and barry bonds. hank aaron is one of the legends who played in both what was it like playing for the indianapolis clowns? >> to play in that league, to play with the ballplayers i played with, gave me an opportunity to do some things that i wanted to do. >> reporter: it also means a fuller legacy for deserving legends. an aging satchel paige finally made it to major league baseball at the age of 42 but before that, he had already racked up almost 150 wins on the mound. jackie robinson, who in 1947 broke the league's color barrier while wearing dodger blue, now adds a season of statistics in kansas city monarch red. is it true that there was, perhaps, more talent in the negro league back then than there was in major league baseball

>> i would not doubt it one bit. there was so much talent >> reporter: the change comes as mlb, like many other professional sports leagues, confronts issues of racial and social justice over the summer to protest police brutality, teams and players sat out games. at the negro league's baseball museum in kansas city, they are celebrating this latest move towards equality >> it acknowledges those courageous owners and those even more courageous players who played this game against the backdrop of american segregation and excelled in it >> those updated statistics will come at a later time the elias sports bureau will work on consulting the surviving records and box scores from the negro leagues games to add to the players' tallies hoda and savannah, earlier this year when i sat down with hank aaron, after the cameras were off, he named guys in the negro

league i'd never heard of. he contended these guys he was talking about were, hands down, better than any of the players in major league baseball back then. >> wow >> for every kid who ever memorized all the baseball stats, they may have some new ones to memorize. >> there you go. >> better late than never. >> craig, thank you. still ahead, two big stars, haharry smith h and ringo o sta. let's s end the yeyear nailing. ♪ lsubabaru createded the sharere lolove event..ears ago,, where our new owneners could choosese a national or hometown charity. and subaru and our retailers would proudly make a donation. but now,w, in times s like the, compananies are hahaving a ha choioice to makeke. but subabaru is morere than a car compmpany. and as chaharities strtruggle we cannonot just statand by. which isis why we plplan to doe over twenty four million dollars, again this year.

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♪ y you are allll i need bababy to get by y ♪ a very good morning to you. 7:56. i'm laura garcia. here's a look at what's happening now. >> i'm cierra johnson in daly city seton hospital joins three marin county hospitals in saying they are simply out of icu beds. this news comes as several more counties join that regional stay-at-home order. those counties include napa, solona and san mateo counties. the regional stay-at-home order goes into effect shortly before midnight tonight. good morning, everyone. i'm scott mcgrew. 885,000 americans applied for first-time unemployment benefits last week. that is more than expected. in fact, the most since september as we see the new shutdown begin to affect the economy. a lot of people need relief

and we need the rain. we sure got it last night, kari. >> yeah, now we're seeing it clearing out. we are getting some sunshine, too. back behind the rain that moved through early this morning we can now see it passing to the south and no more on the way for today as you reach to the upper 50s and low 60s and the rest of the forecast issic looi ilookin. more weather like this and you'll notice how cold it will be for the next several mornings. our inland valleys having frosty conditions. laura. >> all right. keep cool out there. thanks so much for joining us. "today" show coming up next. the usual l gifts are e just nonot going toto cut it.

we have e to find something g else. good lucuck! what d does that m mean? we arere doomed. [laughghter] that''s it. i fifigured it o out! we''re goingng to give togethererness. thatat sounds dudumb. we''re goingng to tatake all thohose familyly moments a and packckage them.. hmm.

[lauaughing] that wororks. ♪ it's 8:00 on "today. coming up, winter whiteout the most powerful nor'easter in a decade slams into the northeast. >> this is a major, major snowstorm. >> icy conditions causing a mess on the roads, as tens of thousands wake up without power. this morning, the storm is still on the move, and al is tracking it all plus, record rise. hospitals overwhelmed as coronavirus cases soar coast to coast. >> at this point, all our hospital systems can do is brace for these days and weeks to come. >> this as the fda prepares to vote today on the emergency authorization of the moderna vaccine. just ahead, what this could mean in our fight against the

disease. and living legends harry smith catches up with the one and only ringo about creating new music with a team of stars. >> decided to get a lot of people on the choruses singing started with dave grohl and ben harper they came over. >> an exclusive look at his music video. then a powerful conversation with viola davis about the rise to the top do you get tired of fighting for space? do you ever get tired? >> you do. you get tired of fighting for it, but you know what, the hardest fight is the fight within yourself. i think once you've conferred that, you're good. >> today, thursday, december 17th, 2020 >> hello, "today" show from charlotte, north carolina >> yay >> all born on december 17th. >> i'm 17. >> 19. >> i'm 21. >> happy birthday, girls

>> hi, savannah and hoda >> good morning from cleveland, ohio >> hoda, today, shane is turning 3 years old. >> happy birthday. >> shane, we're sending you hugs right back happy birthday, little one it is thursday morning if you're just waking up, snow is here. a lot of kids have snow days. our kids are off today. >> i think calvin, dylan's little boy, i think today is his birthday, as well, december 17th happy birthday, calvin. >> happy birthday, cal huge thank you to everybody who pitched in to make our season of giving drive a success the last couple days. >> boy, did you guys show up in a huge way you gave so much it benefitted both feeding america and toys for tots. get this, your generosity just yesterday helped raise nearly $1 million for toys for tots nationwide increased the traffic on the

website by 79% >> that's awesome. >> "today" viewers are the best. >> the remarkable little girl we met, she started lily's toy house on long island get this, lily's website raised $43,000 yesterday alone. she's overwhelmed with joy we decided why not keep it going. >> why not, guys we'll put up the qr code on the screen this is for the toy drive. we'll leave the qr code up all hours. you know how to do it. picture mode, click on it, and the notification will pop up it'll take you to our website and you can give. >> it's a great thing. let's turn to the news at 8:00 the east coast is starting to dig out from more snow than more cities have dealt with in years. the overnight storm causing traffic pile-ups, airplane delays, and power outages. gabe gutierrez is in central park, not far from where we are.

good morning. >> hi, hoda. good morning. well, the snow is still coming down here, and it is a picturesque scene here in central park, and there are dangerous travel conditions here. the storm is blamed on four deaths. tens of thousands without power. in central park, this is more snow than we saw all of last winter pennsylvania, there was one crash with at least 30 vehicles or so. separately, there was another dangerous situation where first responders were at the scene of an accident. dash cam video captured another car slamming into one of the vehicles pulled over thankfully, everybody was okay states like connecticut and massachusetts still being hit hard by this storm new jersey is under a state of emergency. u.p.s. and fedex are monitoring the weather conditions, but local officials say right now there is no -- it doesn't look like the coronavirus vaccine

shipments have been impacted already today, hoda and savannah, over 1,000 flights throughout the region have been canceled. back to you. >> gabe gutierrez in central park, thank you. the snow is tapering off in new york city. still coming down in new england. al, what's the latest? what do you expect now >> we have the other storm coming into the west coast, but this is the one we are watching now. it is slowly pulling away but still packing a punch in the northeast. in fact, we'll be watching this system push through. we've got 37 million people under some sort of winter storm warning, winter weather advisory as the storm pulls away, we probably will see another 6 to 9 inches of snow in portland. 3 to 6 in boston 2 to 4 in hartford about done in new york city. scranton may see another 1 to 2. binghamton, 40 inches. that's the biggest snowstorm they've ever seen. saratoga springs, 23 inches. six states have seen at least a foot of snow

central park had 10 inches of snow 6.3 in philadelphia. as the system starts to yank itself out, we are going to be looking at a little more snow left the wind chills though are going to still be a big factor, and the winds will be a big factor, as well. >> al, we'll keep checking with you and get the rest of your forecast in a moment. across the u.s., covid-19 claimed more lives yesterday than on any day since this pandemic began the number of people getting vaccinated is rising this morning, as well we're on the verge of perhaps another vaccine getting approved icu quid in bu miguel almaguer is inside the medical center in providence st. joseph medical center in burbank, california this morning. good morning. >> good morning. this icu has been operating at full capacity. it's been doing so for some

weeks. the nurses and doctors in this covid ward are working 12 days straight, oftentimes for 12 hours in a row there are covid patients behind these glass walls that are fighting for their lives many of them are intubated it's a really grim scene here and reflective of the national numbers. as you mentioned, we've surpassed some 17 million infections nationwide. california seems to be the epicenter of much of the crisis right now. in some areas of los angeles county, ambulances are waiting up to six hours to offload some patients the case total in california alone yesterday topped 53,000 new infections the news continues to get worse, as officials are pleading with people to stay home over the christmas holiday. there is some good news, as mentioned. the new moderna vaccine could get fda authorization as early as today that would be a second vaccine that could roll out in the coming weeks the front line workers here in this room could start getting their shots later on today many staff at this hospital will be vaccinated by the end of the week savannah, back to you. >> miguel, thank you very much tennessee senator lamar alexander took time wednesday to spread a little holiday cheer on

capitol hill ♪ >> alexander, who is retiring when his term ends in january, played christmas carols on the piano for his fellow lawmakers and staff. this was also happening in the senate heart office building's atrium alexander was joined by senator tim kaine of virginia, playing his harmonica on a rendition of "go tell it on the mountain. each song got an applause from both sides of the aisle. >> a republican and democrat making beautiful music together. that's a start that counts as a boost, but you have another one. okay a lot of young people have been showing off their incredible talents by taking on the go crazy dance challenge. well, here's how 6-year-old ivan did when his mom challenged him. >> hey, ivan, let me see you go crazy one time man, come on bring it back.

bring it back. hey, hey, hey. go, go, go crazy go, ivan ♪ >> go, go, go. hey, hey >> will he give us a lesson? >> he is a born entertainer. he likes to sing, act, and likes to dance. he has moves. i was watching it in slo-mo, and i go, how is he doing that when asked who inspired him, ivan didn't hesitate and said, "my mom. >> she is his biggest cheerleader. we can hear that so cute. ahead, we have a real treat this morning from harry smith. hi, harry. >> morning, kids i can't top ivan how about we hang with ringo starr for r a couple o of minut? that's c coming up r right after this

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over 40 years this thing of quality of purpose. became a thing of the heart. a thing of a son. to visisit your dodoctor right nonow. but ifif you're exexperiencingng irirregular heheartbeat, heheart racingng, chest papain, shortness s of breath,h, fatie or l light-headededness, don't waitit toto contact y your doctor. because e these sympmptoms could bebe signs of a s serious conondition like atriaial fibrillalatio. which coululd make youou about t five timeses more likikely to havave a str. your symymptoms coululd mean someththing seriouous, so this s is no timeme to wai. talk to a a doctor, byby phon, onliline, or in-n-person. so this s is no timeme to wai. ♪ keep it t together ''til this worork call wraraps ♪ ♪ sip thahat smooth r roast ad try y your best t not to snan♪ ♪ t the best papart of wakik'p isis folgers i in your cupup ♪ ♪ t this is thehe first dayay y life♪

♪ i wasas born righght in the doorwayy♪ ♪ i i don't knonow where i i ♪ i donon't know whwhere i've bn ♪ but i k know where e i wannao the citi music series on "today" is proudly presented to you by citi. >> we're back. carson joins us virtually. citi music series. carson is there. you are going to love this harry smith has a really cool interview. oh, just with ringo starr. >> i know. two of my favorite people, harry smith and ringo. so ringo is out with a new single that might be the perfect

new year's song. this morning, we're going to get an exclusive look at the music video for it harry, looks like it might be easier for you to tell us who ringo didn't get for this project. >> reporter: well, i apologize for encroaching on "pop start" territory, but this feels like a "pop start" moment so, we have had some great hangs this year with an array of stars from the music world and entertainment, but this one, it really takes the cake, because if you were a radio frequency and you could tune into what frequency ringo was, you would want to tune into that from time to time. looking for a good time, zoom with ringo >> how many times you have to unmute >> reporter: ringo starr, like the rest of us, is doing his best to cope with covid. how have you been holding up since the shutdown and since we

all started wearing masks? >> some days, it's just down but i've tried to keep busy, you know i made an ep hello? >> reporter: more on that in a minute starr has been steadfast in his social distancing since last spring >> since march, only eight people have been in our house, and we've only been to those people's houses. >> reporter: for the people-loving former beatles, isolation has been a test. but it's been worth it. >> i'd love a hug one time. >> reporter: instead of a real hug, starr and friends created a virtual one. ♪ this is for tonights we won't remember ♪ ♪ with the friends we won't forget ♪

>> reporter: he converted his l.a. guesthouse into a studio. >> my drums are in that room that was the bedroom and we put mics on the drums, couple of mics up by the wall. it's got the best sound ever you know, i don't have to go into the big, fancy studios. >> reporter: the song, an anthem to a future unfettered by restrictions ♪ the night we won't remember >> reporter: the theme of the song to me is, it's time to really, you know, when we can, start to really live life again. >> yeah. i have had enough nights i don't remember but i got a lot of friends i'll never forget >> reporter: ringo learned long ago, it's best to get by with a little help from your friends. >> we decided to get a lot of people on the choruses singing we started with dave grohl and ben harper they came over we then got excited and sent it

to paul, and he did his part ♪ may we think of them forever >> reporter: paul, paul, i don't recognize paul. >> yeah, yeah. we only call him paul now. sheryl crow. she's so great she's always there to help out and jenny lewis, joe walsh lenny kravitz came on at the last minute. thank you, lenny ♪ here's tonights that we won't remember ♪ >> reporter: an all-star sing-along and he has played with his share through the years with his own band and the band that made him famous. it's 50 years since its breakup. 40 since the loss of john lennon it's 40 years. >> i know. how far out. >> reporter: what kind of feelings did you have that day >> well, i'm always emotional.

i'm an emotional person. i was emotional when it happened 40 years ago, and i was emotional. i was also emotional on his birthday last month. i miss the man, you know then you dial in on it, that's when i really feel it. ♪ here's to me here's to you >> reporter: vowed to remain couped up until it is safe to hit the road again a time that can't come soon enough >> i love playing. i love being on stage. i love the audience. all audiences know i love them, and they love me we have fun, and we play really good music that's what it's about ♪ we did it all >> reporter: dare we say, ringo starr is still burning brightly. >> bye, bye, bye. >> reporter: ringo, thank you so much >> what a hoot "here's to the night" is out now. his new ep, "zoom in," comes out in march >> that was a rip. >> that was beautiful. i mean, al just googled his age. he's 80 years old. >> wow. >> amazing. >> more relevant and more energy than ever.

he's vegan he says that's part of the reason he's doing so well. >> and the guy who can use the words like "far out" and not be ironic about it, that's pretty cool >> i know. >> you guys really clicked you're one of his pals now, harry. that's cool. thank you. let us get another check of the weather, al. how is it looking, and may i add that your sweater is fabulous. >> thank you very much a gift from ms. roberts. let's show you what we have going on for today it's going to be a snowy day chilly to the south. we've got above average temperatures out to the west, up in the plains. another storm coming into the pacific northwest and the >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we are seeing that storm clearing the bay area. rain moves through early this morning. but we don't see any more of it headed our way. at least for the next several days. and we're going to see sunshine with highs reaching into the

upper 50s and low 60s. and as we go through the forecast, expect some very chilly mornings. we'll dip back near freezing in a lot of spots in the interior valleys. going into next week, a lot more sunshine in the forecast. >> don't >> don't forget, you can check out our shows all day. sirius xm channel 108. guys >> all right, al let's go on to "pop start. carson is back from the "voice." they crowned a winner, and they're now working from home. low quarantine since you were on the west coast hi, carson. >> hi, guys. good morning congratulations to young 15-year-old carter rubin for winning the "voice" this week on the west coast for team gwen stefani. had a great season thanks for watching the "voice," everybody. on "pop start," we're starting with justin timberlake exclusive look to j.t.'s return to dramatic acting he has been acting and is very good the film is "palmer," and justin is an ex-con, returning to his hometown looking for a fresh

start, only to find himself taking care of a young boy who is often the target of bullying. the two of them form an unlikely bond >> you ain't nothing but a criminal you got no right looking after any child. >> there's things in this world you can be, and there's things that you can't how many boys do you see on that >> none. >> what does that tell you >> i can be the first. >> trick-or-treat. >> truth is, i haven't felt like i was good at anything until now. i can't abandon that boy i will not abandon that boy. >> moments there, you can really see it i think that film has been on the shelf a while due to the pandemic a lot of buzz on that. good for justin. "palmer" is going to premiere

globally on apple tv plus on january 29th you can check it out then. next up, george clooney on "pop start." he and his wife, amal, have been married a little over six years. originally, their engagement wasn't looking like such a sure thing. talking to howard stern, clooney revealed when he surprised amal with the ring, it took her a very long time to say yes. even after he set the scene with candles and a nice, romantic dinner, and the perfect playlist. >> she's holding it, and she goes, "oh, my god. she kept saying, "oh, my god." i'm on my knee now, i know exactly how long it took for her to say yes, because i know what song was playing when she said yes. it was 20 minutes. i'm on my knee >> why is that why? do you think she was in shock? >> she was in shock. >> yeah. >> i'm panicked. sweat down the back. and i'm thinking and finally i said to her, "look, i need to

have a yes or no, because, you know, i'm 50 something and my hip could go out." >> what does it mean when not even george clooney can get an instant yes? pretty good stuff there. next up, we've got an inside look at the january issue of "vogue" magazine's second annual values you, featuring four covers shot by the great annie leibovitz. featuring tennis player naomi osaka, a model, and spanish singer/songwriter. also look at who is featured inside this issue, savannah and kristen welker. >> i'm sorry. >> feature written by michelle guthrie and welker emerging as pillars as tough but fair news women, holding leaders of both parties to account savannah, that is pretty cool. what was it like >> you know, it was so fun it's one of those, like, pinch you kind of moment to s,t to be in "vogue" but to do it with kristen, who is one of my close friends and who i admire so much we had a good time

it was not our normal day at the office. let's just say that. >> what was funny, savannah, the thing that made you the most excited was doing it with kristen. i have a "vogue" thing but get to do it with kristen. >> socially distant. >> we were but not emotionally distant. we had fun that day. we felt like models. >> well, we're really proud of both of you guys it's been a tumultuous year, as many can attest to, and you've stood tall and held the network in great stead with your coverage of politics. congrats and well deserved. >> hats off. >> well deserved check out the issue in january when "vogue" hits newsstands it'll be tuesday, by the way time for one more. cookie bracket. >> who won >> i've been keeping up with the final matchup here we started with eight holiday favorites. now, we're down to just sugar cookie versus shortbread the sugar cookie knocking out the snowball my mother is upset about that. 70% of the vote. shortbread beating chocolate

peppermint cookies what world do we live in we want you to vote on this, the final round, head-to-head. go to today.com/food we want to mention that we've got even more christmas cookie good morning. it's 8:26. i'm chris chmura. the pandemic might add new de y delays to the opening of muni's central subway. the project is running over cost yet again and mta might have to come up with an additional $130 million to finish construction. with the pandemic in full swing, finding that money could be next to impossible. right now the new central subway is supposed to open in spring 2020, four years past the original completion date. kari, this morning there was water on the sidewalk. was that rain or were those the sprinklers? >> yeah, we had some rain early this morning. and i know a lot of people waking up heading out the door

now missed all of that action we had this morning. but now we're just left with the clouds as the storm system exits the bay area. and brought us a decent amount of rain. we're in for dry weather. behind this cold front, we'll have some chilly morning temperatures. really won't feel it that much through the day because we're heading back into the upper 50s, low 60s but we're going to have frosty conditions for tomorrow morning as well as next several mornings for our inland valleys as we dip down to the mid-30s. still no rain into the start of winter officially next week. chris? >> thanks, kari. i'll have another local news update in half an hour. first, back to the "today" show in new york.

♪ santa tell me if you're reall there ♪ that gets you in the mood. 7:30, 17th of december, 2020. you don't have your calendar handy, we are t-minus one week until christmas eve. craig and carson, hoping you guys are wrapping up our christmas shopping al, you finished in august, so congratulations to you >> yes, we have a lot to get to ahead.

i have a nice conversation with viola davis. she stars in a great movie called "ma rainey's black bottom." she thought she wasn't cut out for it we had a conversation about finding her purpose and place in hollywood over the course of her career she is an inspiring human being. carson >> oh, my gosh, one of my favorites. looking forward to that. also, here's a question, can "sesame street" change the world? cynthia mcfadden has a story to see. she'll take us to a refugee camp at the firsthand look at the surprising power of these beloved characters >> wow and in just a few minutes, guys, coming up on the "3rd hour of today," we have "snl" star pete davidson and his grandfather. they're talking about their special bond, pete's new pandemic puppy they're also going to share a special surprise for a group of

first responders, as well. sheinelle will have that story for us on the third hour. >> looks like a good one. tomorrow morning on "today," something we hope can help folks after a hard year. a lot of folks are seeking answers and reflecting on their faith. i went to a wonderful source for both good shepherd new york, a church i happen to attend, and we had a good conversation. we hope you'll be inspired our chat about challenges and our hearts and how to make peace with 2020. that'll be tomorrow on "today." >> looking forward to that. first, let's get a check of the weather. mr. roker, what do you got >> let's look at your weekend ahead. we start with tomorrow cold and dry in the east rocky snow developing. wet in the pacific northwest sunshine through the gulf. then on saturday, snow showers around the great lakes more rain down through the lower mississippi river valley and northeast seeing wet weather sunny on the eastern seaboard. sunday, sunday, snow showers along the pacific -- i should say the pacific northwest. along with some rain mild temperatures through the gulf

>> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. the rain moving out, and now we'll have sunshine and cool temperatures for today. still breezy, too. and then tonight, once those winds calm down, temperatures will drop and we'll have some frosty conditions to start out our friday morning. going into the weekend, still some cool mornings, sunny and mild afternoons. not looking at any rain in the forecast as the system we were watching for next week will stay to the north of us so going into the first day of winter staying dry. >> that's your latest weather. savannah >> al, thank you. coming up next, hoda, i've been waiting for this one, going one-on-one with oscar winner viola davis. >> my main purpose right now is to help people feel the things that i never felt when i was a kid growing up >> she has an incredible back story. she was open and honest about her place in hollywood right now, and how far she's come. i think you will be inspired by the things viola has

we are back, 8:35. hoda, i've been waiting for this one all week i know how much you love viola davis. you really got a chance to sit down and bond with her. >> well, there's so much i didn't know about her that i learned about her. how much do we all love her, by the way? she stars in this netflix film called "ma rainey's black bottom," already getting oscar buzz it's based on a play produced by denzel washington. stars the late chadwick boseman. it's his final role in the movie. craig sits down with the cast tomorrow to talk about chadwick's impact on the film. first, i wanted to talk with viola about playing the real-life mother of the blues and her journey to becoming one of the biggest names in hollywood. >> it's not easy for me to admit that i've been standing in the same place for 18 years! >> i've been standing with you >> reporter: she is the best among actors

a craftsman who has chiselled multi-faceted characters into statues we know by name. tony, emmy, oscar. >> viola davis, "how to get away with murder. >> reporter: viola davis earned them all, along with respect something that didn't always come easy. >> viola davis, my god, somebody give her a movie >> do you get tired of fighting for space? do you get tired >> you do. you get tired of fighting for it you know what? the hardest fight is the fight within yourself. i think once you've conquered that, you're good. >> reporter: now, she chooses whom she portrays. recently, it is ma rainey, the societal outcast who birthed the blues. >> want to call me mother blues, it's fine with me. don't hurt none. >> it is a big part and a small part of who she is other part of who she is, she is bisexual she's a woman who was dark skinned, who was heavy set, in the turn of the 20th century

so she literally fit all of the characteristics of people who were rendered invisible. >> all they want is my voice >> reporter: invisible yet driven a role played perfectly by an actress who can relate. >> you know, my testimony is one of poverty let me tell you something about poverty. you're invisible >> reporter: if you've seen viola recite lines, wait until you hear her speak from the heart. >> we would go to bed and hear rats killing the pigeons in the roof everybody in this room, i'm sure, at some point, has gone through something in their lives. you've survived it i had a memory when i was 9 years old. i remember my parents fighting in the middle of the night my older sister, diane, told me to go in the house or people would hear me. i ran to the bathroom screaming still, just couldn't stop. got down on my knees and closed my eyes. i put my hands together and

said, "god if you exist, if you love me, you'll take me away from this life." >> reporter: she is now comfortable sharing what had to have been a youth of relentless pain if you could explain that moment to me, it was like you were basically pleading with god to help you >> i said, "i'm going to give you until the count of ten when i open my eyes, i want you to have plucked me out of this life because i can't take it anymore. i counted to ten, and i opened my eyes. i was still there. but it was only in hindsight that i realized that he kept me there for a very specific reason that because of the life i've had, hard is relative to me. it's really helped me in service position it's like they say, you can only help people if you feel them in your heart >> reporter: you talked about the difference between having goals and having a purpose

what's your purpose? >> you know, i'm halfway through my life. i mean, right now, my main purpose right now is to help people feel the things that i never felt when i was a kid growing up there are great stories coming from, you know, people who have been on the sidelines too much but, you know, talk to me in 10, 20 years i'll say my purpose may be sitting on a beach in hawaii and scratching my feet. >> reporter: and having a cocktail, i hope >> or three. >> reporter: exactly i like that. >> viola says one of the biggest misconceptions about her is people don't know she is a funny person, which she is the thing she was saying when she was a kid, she said she never saw the personification of a dream anywhere she said, one day, she turned on the tv and saw cicely tyson and thought, i'm home. in that moment, she saw herself. that was the beginning but she says she still has to

hustle call for roles get on the phone, "pick me, pick me." they call her the black meryl streep, yet she hustles for her roles. she's lived a life. >> i feel like i could just listen to her all day. i mean, she has so much wisdom, but also so much generosity about her really difficult experience to say, i was there to ultimately help others it's like this level of grace that i think, you know, i can't even get my arms around it. >> like a master class in living and how to live. >> yeah. if you want to just feel inspired, google viola davis speech look at all of them. that's what i did. when i left, i was completely full anyway, as for "ma rainey's black bottom," starts streaming on netflix tomorrow. and tomorrow on "today," we'll have craig's conversation with the rest of the cast on working with chadwick boseman in what would be his final film. >> movie looks incredible. >> terrific.

coming up next a "today" exclusive, cynthia mcfadden

story any parent can relate to more than 50 years, "sesame street" has delighted, comforted, and educated children around the world. >> it has. this morning, we have an exclusive first look at "sesame street's" latest and most daunting project, bringing preschool learning to children growing up in the world's largest refugee camp nbc's cynthia mcfadden and her team visited in february, just before the pandemic struck, and she joins us with the story. cynthia, good morning. >> hi, cynthia. >> reporter: good morning. well, of course, there's enormous sadness in any place like the rohingya camp but any place "sesame" goes, there's sure to be lots of smiling children, as well. backed with two whopping $100 million grants, one from the mcarthur foundation and the other from the lego foundation,

"sesame" is determined to help children growing up in refugee camps have a better shot at life this morning, you're going to meet two new "sesame" characters designed to do just that >> elmo knows bangladesh. >> reporter: we've come to one of the most beloved streets in the world, "sesame street. elmo and abby cadabby want to tell us about their friends. what did you learn about the kids when you were in bangladesh some had to move, leave their homes? >> that's true elmo's new friends had to leave their homes because it wasn't safe anymore that made them feel really sad. >> reporter: how to help could a fuzzy red muppet and his pals really make a difference for 700,000 rohingya children? >> when elmo is sad, one thing that helps is to give a big, belly breath. >> reporter: i like that. >> yeah. >> reporter: elmo knows that

play is serious work the gateway to learning, both emotionally and intellectually especially important for these children refugees from the genocide in myanmar. children without a country to call home. >> we're proven educators. >> reporter: sherrie westin is the president of social impact for sesame workshop. we traveled to the rohingya camp in bangladesh days before the covid lockdown >> as far as the eye can see, nothing but tents and over a million people in this one camp. many of the children have experienced unthinkable horrors. >> reporter: westin is convinced without massive intervention by sesame and their partners, this would likely become a generation who cannot read or write or do simple math. so early childhood education, you're a real evangelist for this >> there is so much science to

show if a child is exposed to traumatic experiences and prolonged stress, that it literally debilitates brain development. for us to reach the children in the critical early years and especially children who have experienced trauma, you know, we can play a significant role. >> reporter: with less than 3% of humanitarian funds worldwide spent on education, sesame's role is critical education is the hope of the people here, like this woman who fled with her family when the military set their village on fire she is determined her grandchildren will learn to read and write. they attend what's called a humanitarian play lab. >> translator: after going to school, she's getting smart. >> reporter: we visited on a special day. the children's first look at an elmo video elmo, a hit. these videos are just a preview, dubbed so the kids can get an

idea of what sesame is developing just for them two new rohingya characters to teach reading and math, along with a big dose of emotional support. >> we're really getting input from the children. we want these characters to identify with them. >> reporter: as we learn from the senior director for international research >> thank you for coming. >> reporter: we were allowed to sit-in on one of the research sessions. >> now, i'm going to show you some pictures of a new character that we want to include in the show which picture do you like the most >> she likes them all. >> reporter: meanwhile, on the other side of the camp, a special guest has arrived. >> the children the world over adore these characters they're immediately engaged. >> reporter: each child is given an opportunity to take a photo with grover. >> oh, my gosh this is so cute. >> reporter: including marola's grandchildren. it is the only photograph any of these kids have. let that sink in

>> they love this. ♪ >> all of this is about harnessing the power of play and also to be able to identify emotions and build the social and emotional skills they need for resilience. >> reporter: this morning, ten months after our trip and half a world away, we're about to reveal for the very first time two new sesame characters. meet 6-year-old rohingya twins, nor and aziz part of a $200 million bet on the future >> this is not an inexpensive venture. >> for 50 years, we've been addressing really challenging issues from the lens of a child. if we invest in reaching young children in humanitarian settings, it will change the world. >> reporter: beautiful children. they're hoping to take everything they've learned in bangladesh and ultimately help

other kids in other refugee settings around the world. if you want to know more of how to help elmo and now aziz and nor, go to our website at today.com. there's lots more information. back to you guys. >> wow >> i know. we were both, like, blown away. >> love that so much, cynthia. there's so much love there it is really exciting. i was thinking the same thing when you said it, like, this could be scaleable you can take this idea and really translate it to communities around the world wouldn't that be so wonderful for them >> knowing sherrie westin, she is planning as we speak. thank you, cynthia. >> thank you >> reporter: precisely thank you both. >

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birthday to urania active lady from florida says the secret to longevity, keeping up her daily swim routine. all right. next birthday is from chicago, proud grandma celebrating 103 years. 11 grand kids and seven great grand sids kids for odessa happy 100th to raymond surette served during world war ii salute you for your service. daphne perez of yonkers, new york, also 100 good genes run in her family multiple relatives have also celebrated this milestone. annette morris is from florida a cross-country traveler, she's 100. says the secret to longevity, a daily glass of wine. yes. last but not least, happy 100th to bob gobie a golfer from illinois bob and his wife charlotte are getting ready to celebrate their

73rd wedding anniversary congratulations and happy birthday remember, we want to celebrate milestones in the lives of your family and friends tell us all about them at today.com/celebrates >> all right, al. carson still talking about the holiday cookies. death match between sugar cookies and shortbread >> it really is. i mean, this is the duke versus north carolina of sweetness. i don't know what to tell you. matchup for the ages we've reached the final of our ultimate bracket it is sugar cookies versus shortbread we want you to vote. today.com/food we'll have even more on the season's sweetest treats on today all day with our cookie swap special all day holiday. that is tonight at 8:00 p.m. today all day at peacock, roku, and today.com, craig just ahead, few minutes from now in the "3rd hour of today," jill martin is going to

introduce us to the woman who hatched her own maternity business it even caught the eye of meghan markle, hoda. later on "hoda and jenna," we'll have some fun. guess who is joining us live ricky martin >> oh! >> he is going to celebrate his new christmas movie on netflix, and he has a grammy nomination good year for ricky martin we'll have that and a lot more, guys, coming up after your local news >> vote for shortbread >> no, sugar >> shortbread! >> sugar, sugar. >> shortbread. >> sugar >> shortbread. >> sugar >> shortbread, shortbread, shortbread

good morning. it's 8:56. i'm chris chmura. more bay area frontline health care workers are getting the covid-19 vaccine. today's focus is the south bay. a large-scale vaccination event is set for the santa clara county fairgrounds. that video is from yesterday when workers at john muir health got their first dose. sonoma county is supposed to get

a shipment of vaccines tomorrow and alameda the day after. among those today are workers from skilled nursing facilities. happening now, bob redell is at the fairgrounds where things are supposed to get started any time now. we'll have a live report in our midday newscast. also an fda advisory panel is reviewing possible approval for moderna's vaccine candidate. we're posting realtime updates on twitter. we'll have a local weather updatete for you i in an hour.r.

live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza, this is the "3rd hour of today." >> good morning and welcome to the "3rd hour of today" on this thursday, december 17th. this is weird. i'm in studio 1a by myself. we're all spread out this morning. i'm sheinelle here in studio 1a. dylan is off, although i accidentally texted her at 5:00 because i forgot. craig, you're working from home. al is just outside our window here in new york city, checking out the snow. we'll get to that in just a moment. first thing's first, we just wanted to say, once again, a huge thank you to all of you who helped make our "today" season of giving drive a success. your