see the flags flapping in the breeze there and i want to end with this shot of the golden gate bridge. there are no major traffic concerns. the bay bridge has a smooth roll out with easy and beautiful and this is just plain beautiful, guys. >> happy new year. we're live in times square with everything you need to know. spreading faster. that dangerous, new strain of the coronavirus now found in a second state, as yet another wave races across the country. a surge that has hospitals under siege once again. >> we're full. we're at max capacity. we have no resources.

we have no staff. >> this morning, a live interview with dr. anthony fauci on what can be done to speed up the pace of vaccinations in america. challenging the results. >> this is my opportunity to stand up and say something. >> a republican senator becomes the first to say he will object to certifying joe biden's legitimate victory. what the move will now force other republicans to do on the record. caught on camera. new video emerges, showing the moment a woman tackled a black teenager she falsely accused of stealing her phone. straight ahead, the charges she could now face, as she speaks out for the first time and claims she's the one who was assaulted. remembering dawn wells. the tributes pouring in for the actress beloved for her role as mary ann on "gilligan's island." how she's being remembered by family, fans, and the show's only surviving cast member. those stories, plus, hoops history.

>> becky hammon is going to take over. >> the spurs becky hammon becomes the first woman to serve as a head coach during an nba game. >> it's a big deal. it's a substantial moment. >> how she's feeling about her new place in the record books today, thursday, december 31st, 2020. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> welcome to "today" on this final day of 2020, that a lot of people had circled on their a calendars for quite a while. sheinelle jones in for savannah and hoda today. 17 hours away. >> good morning to you. in fact, not far from us, where we're sitting this morning in 30 rockefeller plaza, times square ready for a much different celebration this year. i thought it was interesting, it is closed off to the public for the first time in 113 years.

>> yes. the ball will still drop. of course, the reason for those changes here in new york, and most cities across the country, the coronavirus. on wednesday, the virus claimed the lives of another 3,600 americans, and more cases of the new covid strain are being detected in the united states, as well. we'll talk about that, the surge, and the future of the vaccine rollout live with dr. anthony fauci in a moment. we'll start in times square with gabe gutierrez. gabe, good morning to you. >> good morning to you. the final day of 2020 is off to a dreary and rainy start. there is anticipation to bring in 2021. there will be no massive crowds here, just invited guests, including health care workers. and their families. >> reporter: this morning, final

preparations are under way in times square, and with many eager to wave good-bye to 2020, the message from new york authorities is clear. >> do not come to the area. if you think you're going to be able to stand there and watch the ball, you're mistaken. don't come. >> three, two, one. happy new year! >> reporter: normally, more than a million people cram the crossroads of the world to ring in the new year, but this time, the re-imagined revelry is closed to the public. police shutting down surrounding streets. hotel guests in the area must stay inside. nationwide, new year's celebrations will look and sound much different. in chicago, no fireworks at navy pier. in austin, texas, new limits on dine-in and drink service in restaurants. in boston, police will be on the lookout for house parties. >> don't have new year's eve parties this year, in order not to spread the virus. that includes small gatherings. >> reporter: back in times square, only invited guests will be allowed, including first responders and health care

workers. >> it's been a really rough year, especially for all of the hospital workers. >> reporter: among them, amy freeman ivanoff. what is it going to mean, to be able to watch the ball drop, one of the few people to watch the ball drop in person? >> it is going to be really exciting. >> three, two, one! happy new year! >> reporter: the iconic ball drop still on. this year's design dubbed the gift of happiness, put in position wednesday. thousands of shimmering crystals. >> it celebrates the ushering in of the new year and saying good-bye to the old year. >> happy new year! >> reporter: 2021 can't come soon enough. meanwhile, something that won't change this year is that there will be a heavy police presence. as you can see, many of the streets behind me are already shut down, and authorities are saying that even though this will be a scaled back event, they will be on high alert. craig?

>> gabe gutierrez for us there in times square, thank you. as we close out 2020, there are some troubling signs the start of the new year is likely to bring even darker days in the pandemic for many parts of the country. nbc's meagan fitzgerald is in los angeles with that part of the story. good morning. >> reporter: sheinelle, good morning to you. overwhelmed hospitals are running dangerously low on supplies, staff, and morale, and now it appears that the new uk variant has been found here in southern california. it's an unwelcomed, new hurdle for health care systems already buckling under the pressure. this morning, the highly contagious strain of the coronavirus discovered in the uk has been found in a second state. california identifying the latest case. a 30-year-old san diego man with no travel history who tested positive on december 29th. the news coming a day after colorado health officials reported they believe they may have identified their second case in that state. health officials say both man are national guardsmen in their 20s, working at the same assistant living facility with

no travel history. >> this variant is another reminder that there's a lot we don't know about the virus. >> reporter: the nation's top experts believe the strain is likely already circulating in other parts of the u.s., which will make a very difficult situation even more devastating. california already battling for survival. >> patients have the ventilators not working for them. >> reporter: hard hit l.a. county with 20% positivity rate. hospitalizations soared 1,000% in two months. >> we're full. we're at max capacity. we have no resources. we have no staff. >> reporter: health care workers across the nation reporting grim stories from the front lines. >> we get patients from all over the southeast, trying to find an intensive care unit that has a bed. >> reporter: by new year's day, the country could hit a staggering 20 million

infections. from coast to coast, numbers trending in the wrong direction. >> i personally cared for patients younger than myself, with no co-morbidities, and that's an extremely scary thought. >> reporter: if many, protection against the deadly disease can't come soon enough. after escalating criticism, members of operation warp speed acknowledged the vaccine rollout had not gone as planned. >> we know that it should be better, and we're working hard to make it better. >> reporter: more than 11 million doses of the vaccine have been shipped out to states, but some governors say they need more assistance from the federal government. as for the variant found here and in colorado, experts say it does not appear to be more dangerous or more deadly, and the vaccine should be effective. craig? >> meagan fitzgerald, thank you. joining us now, dr. anthony fauci, the director of the national institute of allergy and infectious diseases. dr. fauci, good morning to you, sir. >> good morning. >> let's start with that mutated strain first found in colorado, now

apparently in southern california a lot of folks concerned about this mutated strain, dr. fauci how worried should we be, and should we assume, at this point, that that mutated strain is likely already widespread in this country >> well, it's here, no doubt we predicted it would be, when you have so much of it in the uk, which then spread to other countries in europe and canada, it was inevitable it'd be here you'll be hearing reports from other states and more cases in the state that is already reported unfortunately, that's just the reality of the way these viruses spread obviously, you have to take it seriously. our british colleagues have shown, clearly, that it is much more efficient in spreading from person to person the good news is that it does not appear to be more virulent, namely, making people more sick and leading to more death. that is a good thing obviously, we don't want to see a virus that has a greater

capability of spreading. the other thing that is important and a favorable thing, it does not seem to evade the protection that's afforded by vaccines that are currently being used but the fact that you have a virus that spreads more efficiently is something that's important and needs to be taken seriously. this just underscores the need to continue to put our foot to the floor and the pedal, about making sure we do the public health measures that we talk about all the time the wearing of masks, the physical distancing, the avoiding crowds in congregant settings those are the things will the prevent this new strain from spreading even further. >> dr. fauci, let's talk about vaccinations for a moment and the rollout here in the country. i want to put these numbers on the screen for viewers at home so they can see the numbers. according to the cdc, just over 14 million vaccines have been distributed to the states.

people vaccinated about 2.8 million. the goal for the end of the month, as you know, was 20 million vaccinated for months, we've known these vaccines were coming what happened, dr. fauci >> well, whenever you have a massive program such as this, i mean, this is the most -- the largest and most important vaccine program that we've ever undertaken -- i mean, we would have liked to have seen it run smoothly and have 20 million doses into people today, by the end of the 2020, which was the projection obviously, it didn't happen, and that's disappointing hopefully, as you get into the first couple of weeks in january, the gaining of momentum will get us to the point where we want to be. but there really has to be a lot more effort in the sense of resources for the locals, namely, the states, the cities, the counties, the places where the vaccine is actually going into the arms of individuals you have to support the local groups, the states and the cities, to help them to get this task done, which is a very prodigious task.

>> the cash-strapped states in many cases, cash-strapped health departments especially in many states, this is obviously a threat to our national security. would it be better if the federal government stepped in and took over the effort to get millions of americans vaccinated >> rather than stepping in and taking over, i think it'd be better to give more resources and to work with them, in tandem with them. in other words, not saying, "we're taking over, we're going to do your job," but saying, "we're going to really help you to do your job, particularly by giving you many more resources." >> while i have you, i want to ask you about this approach being taken in other parts of the world. for instance, in the united kingdom, some provinces in canada, as you know, after the

first dose, they're letting people walk around and, apparently, reportedly, that provides, perhaps, up to 40% protection against infection, unlike what we're doing, reserving both doses for millions of americans. should we change our approach, perhaps? >> well, i mean, that's under consideration. i still think, if done properly, you can do a single dose, reserve doses for the second dose, and still get the job done but there's a lot of discussion about whether or not you want to spread out the initial vaccination, by getting more people vaccinated on the first round. now, you could debate either way on that. one of the problems of doing that is if you don't then get the second dose in time, you're going to have a lag period we know from the clinical trial that the optimal time is to give it on one day, and then, for moderna, 28 days later, and for pfizer 21 days later that's what the data tells us is the best way to do it.

so if you want to stick with the data, that's the way you should do it. but you can make an argument, and some people are, about stretching out the doses by giving a single dose across the board, and hoping you're going to get the second dose in time to give to individuals. >> dr. fauci, last question. here we are on the last day of a year that no one could have imagined years from now, when historians write about this particular chapter in america's story, what do you hope they write >> well, you know, it's been a very, very tough year. this is a worst that we've had, literally in 102 years so when historians write about this, they're going to write about things similar to what happened in 1918

i mean, from a public health standpoint, we really got into some significant pain and suffering and death. the good news is that science has and will come to the rescue, by getting us vaccines, more than one vaccine, hopefully five, six, seven or more vaccines throughout the world, that will get us out of this and put this in the rear-view mirror, behind us. hopefully, as we look forward to 2021, as we get well into the year, with a combination of vaccines and proper adherence to public health measures, we can end this thing and crush it, the same way we have done to other outbreaks like polio, measles, and other important diseases >> appreciate your service appreciate you. >> thank you for having me. >> covered a lot of ground there. in other news, a republican senator from missouri intends to object when congress meets next week to certify joe biden's electoral college win. kelly o'donnell has the latest on this one. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, sheinelle. the last step in the long election process is usually a formality that gets little attention, but not this year one republican senator says trump's supporters deserve to be heard. challenging the electoral college means every senator will have to debate and then vote to confirm the winner of the election

president trump's ongoing quest to overturn joe biden's victory has a new ally missouri republican senator josh hawley >> this is my opportunity to stand up and say something, to stand up and point out there were irregularities in this election, that there was fraud nobody disputes that, by the way. >> reporter: plenty dispute that, from the courts to state officials of both parties, who have defended the election results. >> 74 millions are not going to shut up. >> reporter: hawley, a 40-year-old yale trained lawyer, is the first to say he will object to certifying joe biden's

electoral college victory next week. >> i'm going to force this debate, and i hope change will come because of it. >> reporter: democrats say hawley is crossing a dangerous line >> josh hawley and anyone who supports his effort are engaged in the attempted overthrow of democracy. >> reporter: it's also politically perilous for republicans, who would have to publicly accept or reject biden's victory, risking the wrath of the president prompting some gop criticism. >> it seems to me josh hawley is looking for higher office. maybe he is positioning for 2024 >> reporter: a charge hawley denies. >> that's ridiculous i'm not running for president. >> reporter: hawley is also backing president trump's demand for $2,000 covid relief checks that democrats support >> amazingly enough, the president of the united states is right >> reporter: but republican senate majority leader mitch mcconnell refuses to permit a separate vote to increase relief

checks $600 covid payments already approved are already starting to go to millions of qualifying americans. in an unexpected change of plans, the president and first lady will be leaving their mar-a-lago home later this morning and skipping the annual new year's eve gala at their club, heading back to the white house and back to washington the white house has not provided any reason for why they're not staying through the holiday. craig, sheinelle >> kelly, thank you. time now for the first check of the weather appropriately here, perhaps, on the last day of 2020, millions of americans looking at some nasty weather to bring in the year dylan is in for al she's working from home this morning. good morning, dylan dreyer. >> good morning. >> good morning, guys. nice to see you. welcome back, sheinelle. yeah, that checks out right. we're looking for a nasty storm, especially through the middle of the country. we're also starting off with rain in the northeast, too let's look at the winter weather

alerts 12 million people under some sort of winter storm watch or warning right now. we are looking for the possibility of up to a foot of snow across western texas. san angelo usually gets 2 inches or so in a year. they're looking to get 3 or 4 out of this storm. flood watches in effect also, because on the warmer side of this storm, there in green, you could see the heaviest downpours. here is where most of the precipitation is, falling across texas. snow, ice, and rain across texas. the cold front is the second part of that double whammy we've been talking about this is the storm that's going to bring the rain to the east and the snow and ice to the north and west, especially across the great lakes we will see icing in new york and pennsylvania before it changes to rain as we go into saturday morning that's a look at the weather across the country we'll get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds. most desperate hour.

suzanne: bringing us home-cooked meals and gifts. andrew: day after day. we wanted to show you something. kristin: oh my god! andrew: kristin is the most uncommonly kind person that we've met. suzanne: thank you so much. good morning. we have rain move in overnight and woke up to a little bit of wet roadways out there. 44 degrees in san jose right now. the rain will clear out by this afternoon and closer look at the daytime highs and temperatures in the upper 50s, low 60s and remain dry through tonight. new year's eve and temperatures drop down to the 40s and even a couple 30s and a clear start to your friday morning is also expected with more rain over the weekend. >> and that's your latest forecast back to you guys. >> dylan, thank you. still ahead here, family and friends left in shock at the

covid-related death of a louisiana congressman-elect and father of two. their touching, new tributes, and what doctors are now saying about the sudden loss. plus, a new twist in the confrontation over an iphone the video now showing the accuser tackling the boy she falsely claimed stole her device, and what both that woman and police are now saying about the incident

the life of "gilligan's island" star dawn wells, with a look back at some of her visits on "today" through the years. >> she's always so gracious and generous with her time when she stopped by first, your local news ...for more time... ...has come. living longer is possible- and proven in postmenopausal women taking kisqali plus fulvestrant.

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...is what we pay. not a cent more. so wherever you go, happy holidays from chevy. use the chevy employee discount for everyone to get over six thousand eight hundred dollars below msrp on this equinox. get the chevy employee discount for everyone today. good morning. it's 7:26. i'm laura garcia. here's a look at today. was top stories. did you feel some early shaking about 5:41 this morning. a 3.6 earthquake hit south of muir beach and felt across the bay area as far as napa and all over san francisco. no reports of damage or injury. and. >> i'm bob redell here in danville. local police confirmed to nbc bay area they are delivering fine notices to incontro restaurant and others that are

defying the order. patio were open for business and crowded even though the current covid health order prohibits outdoor and indoor dining. we reached out to the owner who did not want to comment. good morning, everyone. i'm scott mcgrew. relatively good news on the jobless front. 787,000 americans filed for first-time unemployment benefits last week. that's less than economists were hoping. that's still a huge number and it shows the hit the pandemic is giving the economy. some rain overnight. vianey has a look at our forecast for today. should be a nice one. >> it will be. that rain is clearing out already. comfortable weather in the upper 50s and last day of 2020 temperatures in the interior valley and then we are expecting to remain dry through tonight and not expecting any rain from storm ranger right now looking really quiet and we have more rain expected for the weekend.

here's a quick look at your new year's eve forecast. temperatures will dip down into the 40s so as we celebrate at home. >> it looks good. another update in half an hour.

7:30 on this new year's eve morning. the nation counting down the final hours of 2020. looking forward to the annual ball drop in times square. of course, no crowds this year, but you can still watch from home. it'll still be a good show. >> yeah. you going to watch it, tune in for the ball drop? >> carson daly will be on with some friends. it'll be a good show. >> show will go on. meanwhile, we'll start with your 7:30 headlines. new york city police are asking the public for help identifying

a group of cyclists after a brazen attack in the middle of a busy street. they smashed this vehicle's mirrors, windshield, and hood. someone was seen picking up a bicycle and throwing it on the suv's hood there. a 36-year-old man and his mother feared for their lives during an unprovoked attack. glass flew into their faces, but thankfully, they were okay. history was made in the nba. becky hammon becoming the first woman to serve as head coach during a regular season game. >> gregg popovich has been tossed from the game. >> becky will take over. >> becky hammon will take over. >> the historic moment coming during the second quarter, after you heard there, san antonio spurs head coach gregg popovich got ejected from the game. hammon, a long-time assistant

coach, took over. she was a six-time all-star in the wnba. after the game, hammon called her debut a substantial moment. you can call this a smashing success. the wisconsin badgers football team celebrating their big win over wake forest in the dukes mayo bowl, and then this happened. >> hey, hey, oh! >> wait. >> yeah. >> oh, no. >> wisconsin quarterback graham mertz, dancing. all of a sudden, he drops the football-shaped crystal. the lennox crystal vase shattered to the floor, and this is how they fixed it. the team joked and fixed it by putting it together by putting

it to the base and saying well, they just wanted everybody to have a piece of it. >> i was going to say that. >> check this out, the team fixing the trophy by taping a bottle of duke's mayonnaise to the base. >> not quite the same. >> yeah. no word or whether they're going to replace the crystal. >> oops. meantime, this morning, tributes continue to pour in for louisiana's republican congressman-elect, luke letlow, who died from complications caused by the coronavirus. letlow was scheduled to be sworn into office this sunday. nbc's kerry sanders is following this story for us. kerry, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, craig. family and friends are still in shock this morning. they had expected that the congressman-elect would be released from the hospital, come home to his wife and two small children, and then prepare to begin his new job. as is the case with too many americans, the virus had other plans. this morning, louisiana congressman-elect luke letlow is being remembered after covid took his life. he was just 41 years old. friends say he was headed for his dream job on capitol hill. >> we would talk a lot about the things he wanted to do, the committees he wanted to get on.

talk about a loss of someone with so much energy. >> reporter: former louisiana governor first hired letlow out of college. >> he was great out of college, more importantly, he was my friend. it hasn't hit me he's ne. >> reporter: two weeks ago, letlow announced his covid diagnosis on social media. one of his doctors telling us letlow ultimately died of complications from covid-19. his immediate death due to a heart attack, as likely related to blood clots cau to blood clots caused by the virus. doctors say he had no underlying conditions his death bringing condolences from both sides of the aisle >> he leaves his wife and two babies, and we extend great sympathy to his family it could happen to anyone. and it has happened to nearly 350,000 americans. >> reporter: in a statement, his family said it appreciates all of the prayers, but asked for privacy during this difficult and unexpected time. >> i'm luke letlow >> reporter: earlier this month,

letlow won a run-off election to represent louisiana's fifth district, previously occupied by his previous boss. >> i have served as chief of staff to ralph abraham and nobody knows this district better than me. >> reporter: abraham, also a practicing physician, spoke with letlow from his hospital bed just days ago. >> at that time, cheerful and alert, certainly, and had a very positive attitude. luke was one of those gentleman that he saw rainbows instead of clouds on a cloudy day he warmed a room up. >> reporter: in her most recent post on social media, the congressman-elect's wife, julia, wrote, thank you for your love and prayers. the louisiana governor announced flags will fly at half-staff on the day of the congressman-elect's funeral. guys, our condolences go out to the family craig and sheinelle? >> absolutely. it's a sad one. >> thank you, kerry. we have an update on a story

we've followed all week. new video emerged of the incident at a new york city hotel where a woman falsely accused a black teenager of stealing her phone ron allen joins us with the latest on that story ron, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, guys. the video was released by the new york city police, and it's from the hotel security system it shows a different angle, as the police searched for the attacker, and the father and son wrongly accused demands justice. overnight, new footage shows the shocking moment a woman tackles the teenage son of a prominent black musician, after wrongly accusing the boy of stealing her phone. the surveillance video shows the woman rush 14-year-old keyon harrold jr. on saturday. >> i'm not letting him walk away with my phone. >> reporter: the video posted to instagram by keyon's outraged

father, quickly going viral. >> get my phone back i cannot -- they have my phone. >> get your [ bleep ]! >> reporter: harrold speaking wednesday with civil rights icon crump saying he and his son were victims of racial profiling. >> i can't come downstairs in new york city, prime new york city, and go get brunch without being attacked and wrongfully accused of something. >> reporter: the famed trumpeter and trump are calling on the district attorney to bring assault and battery charges against the woman, plus a civil rights investigation into the arlo hotel. >> the idea of trauma goes above any charge that could ever be had. i want my son to grow up whole >> reporter: the nypd now asking for the public's help in locating the woman shown in the video. the woman withholding her identity, talking to cnn over the phone on tuesday, claiming she was the victim and also asked another individual of the hotel about her phone before running into harrold police say the woman's phone was found in an uber, and the case

is not being investigated as a bias incident. nbc news was unable to make contact with the woman and doesn't know what happened before or after the video. the hotel in a statement has apologized to the harrolds, and added while a manager on duty quickly called police, more should have been done to de-escalate the situation. as the search continues for the woman seen in the video. sheinelle, craig >> ron, thank you. up next, after a year marked by nationwide protests and calls for police reform, the los angeles police department takes a new and unique approach to serving its community. a firsthand look at the changes to better serve everyone, and if those changes could be a blueprint for other cities that's right after this. international hand model jon-jon gets personal. your wayward pinky is grotesque.

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now with a closer look at what's being done in l.a. steve, good morning. >> reporter: guys, good morning to you. the lapd recently promoted its first black woman as deputy police chief. not just because of who she is but what she wants to do with a new bureau that approaches policing in an entirely different way, and in some of l.a.'s toughest communities, it's already working. as police killings ignited nationwide protests -- >> who do you serve? who do you protect? >> reporter: -- promises by law enforcement to reform from coast to coast. in los angeles, the lapd vowed to shift away from crime fighting to focus on being members of the communities they're sworn to serve and protect. >> nice to see you. >> reporter: in some of l.a.'s toughest housing projects. >> started in nickerson gardens. >> reporter: she also grew up in south l.a.

she became the first black woman deputy police chief in the department's history. >> you have to allow yourself to be open, to be communicative, to be approachable. >> reporter: an early advocate of community-based policing, chief t., as she's known by her officers, heads the lapd's community safety partnership bureau in south l.a. >> the purpose of the csp program is for officers to understand the history and the culture of the communities that they're working in. >> reporter: the 100 strong csp officers get specialized training and commit to serving in the same community for at least five years. they've built relationships with community member even coach youth sports, and mentor neighborhood children. >> took a while for the community to trust us. unfortunately, for some, they've had negative interactions with the police. >> reporter: in south l.a. this housing project, residents are cautiously optimistic. has it made things better? >> you have your good officers and bad officers. you have your ones who come in here, who go beyond their badge,

want to kick the doors in and bust the windows. not once did a csp officer do that. >> reporter: and at one of the largest projects. >> you see people wanting to de-fund the police on tv. >> we need to back up the police officers. they're here to protect us. >> reporter: do you remember a time before they were here? >> yeah. >> reporter: what was it like? >> not that great. there was a lot of crime, yeah. a lot of robberies, lot of shootings. >> reporter: after protests to de-fund the police, $150 million was slashed from the lapd, reducing the force to less than 9,000 in a city of over 4 million. violent crime spiked almost everywhere in l.a., with a notable exception. >> we haven't seen an increase in our csp neighborhood engagement areas, which goes to show that something is working. >> reporter: building on this success, the lapd wants csp for the model for the entire force, with police departments across the country considering chief t.'s methods. >> and i think that, if law

enforcement agencies across this country can buy into the understanding that building trust and humanizing one another has an impact on decreasing crime, i think it'd be a no-brainer for everybody to get6 practice that concept. >> reporter: the re-imagining of policing in america start winning a handshake, one community at a time. ucla study on the program found that in neighborhoods patrolled by csp officers, crime dropped by about 66%. chief t. has been invited to consult with departments all over the country, including major cities like new york and chicago. back to you. >> thank you, steve. we're highlighting los angeles this morning, but a few months ago, we had a similar story in camden, new jersey, similar approach, and it is working there, as well. decade ago, homicides were at an all-time high. now, crime down across the board.

>> dramatically. it is worth a try. time for another check of your weather and your new year's eve forecast. i guess would bit the new year's forecast? >> both. >> new year's eve, new year's day, we'll do it all. we have you covered here. we are going to see a pretty nasty storm moving through the country, especially in areas back through the plain states, where we are looking for unseasonably cold temperatures. through texas, we'll see san angelo, several inches of snow, as the cold air is in place. on the rainier side of the storm system, we have our warmer temperatures. look at the difference between the back side of the front with highs only in the 30s and the other side of the front, where we have temperatures in the 60s and 70s. the warmer air is going to try to push east, which is why this storm moving through is mostly rain for so many across the eastern third of the country. temperatures will rebound as we go throughout the rest of the weekend. look what we're bracing ourselves for today. we have snow showers through the rockies. we have heavy pockets of snow through central texas. we also have the chance for severe storms and isolated tornadoes along the gulf coast. the rain moves to the southeast.

the northeast, we're starting with beautiful view over san jose. thanks to that sunrise. we're going to dry up for this afternoon. we did get a couple showers overnight. here's a look at your daytime highs for today. lovely day ahead. upper 50s, low 60s throughout the bay area. 50 degrees in san francisco and 62 for concord and we're going to remain dry through tonight for new year's eve. here's a closer look at the forecast. we're talking about 40s and a couple low 30s and early morning hours and more rain on the way is expected for the weekend. >> and that's your latest forecast back to you in the studios. >> thank you, dylan. still ahead here, the tributes that are pouring in for dawn wells best known, of course, for playing mary ann on the beloved "gilligan's island." include ago special one from the show's only surviving cast member first, these messages.

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suzanne: thank you so much. a very good morning to you. can is 7:56. i'm laura garcia. did you feel some early morning shaking at about 5:41 this morning? a 3.6 earthquake hit south of muir beach and was felt across the bay area as far away as napa across san francisco. the good news is there was no reports of damage or injuries. i'm kris sanchez in san pedro square which should be just as quiet tonight as it is this morning. the firework show along the embarcadero is canceled and ocean beach and marina green and parking lots are discouraged for gathering and leaning on takeout orders and people who would ordinarily be hosting parties. the chp reminds you they'll be out in full force, as well.

a little rain overnight, but it should make way for a nice afternoon. vianey is in for kari this morning. how are we looking? >> it's clearing out already which is good because that means our afternoon is a good combination of sun and clouds and temperatures will be comfortable in the upper 50s and low 60s throughout. we're not worried about the rain heading into tonight either because once those clouds clear out, here's what we have in store for your new year's eve. stay-at-home forecast and 40s dipping down into the 9:00 a.m., p.m. hour, laura. >> thank you very much. another local news update in half an hour. have a happy and safe new year's.

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>> i love you so much. >> i love you. also, remembering dawn wells. ♪ the professor and mary ann here on gilligan's isle ♪ >> a look back at the life of the beloved actress who starred as the iconic mary ann on "gilligan's island." >> i didn't mean to bump into you. >> that's all right, gilligan. you can bump into me any time you like. >> tributes pouring in. the year that was. an emotional look back at the uplifting and hopeful moments that got us through 2020. >> we don't have to retaliate with anger. we retaliate with love. >> sights and sounds to inspire. today, thursday, december 31st, 2020. ♪ at least i'm alive >> the countdown is on. >> 16 hours until the new year.

>> it's her golden birthday. >> 31 on the 31st. ♪ rain on me >> from georgia. >> wishing you a safe and happy new year's eve. >> oh, that's nice. >> yes, it is. welcome back to "today" on this new year's eve morning. thank you so much for waking up with us. sheinelle in for savannah and hoda this morning. 16 hours. >> 16 hours. take a look at this. while it is still 2020 in the u.s., the clock struck midnight in australia moments ago. this new year ushered in with a big fireworks display in sydney harbor. just like events across america, it was closed to the public. there you go. still a beautiful sight, for sure. >> in fact, that countdown to 2021 begins your news at 8:00. as sheinelle just said, it will be a new year's eve like in

other, with celebrations muted from coast to coast by the pandemic. nbc's gabe gutierrez is in times square with a preview of what we can expect tonight. gabe, good morning. >> reporter: hey there, craig. good morning. well, it's a fitting start to the last day of 2020. it is dreary, rainy, and soggy here in times square, but there's a lot of anticipation to ring in 2021. there will be no massive crowds, though. authorities are urging people to stay home. only a few invited guests here, including essential workers and their families. many streets here are already shut down. workers have been preparing for this for the last several days. there will be a ball drop, but, really, only for television audiences. of course, times square is the most iconic of new year's celebrations, but across the country, there will be muted new year's eve celebrations. for example, in chicago, no fireworks at navy pier. places like austin, texas, have a new restriction for indoor dining. places like boston, police there will be on high alert, looking

for house parties. here in times square, deserted times square, really, was a symbol at the start of this coronavirus crisis, and, again, it'll be such a muted celebration later on tonight. police say, though, that even though it will be a scaled back event, they will be on high alert with high security here. craig? >> all right. gabe gutierrez for us this morning. thank you. turning to the coronavirus now. a second state has confirmed a case of a highly contagious covid-19 variant first detected in the uk. meagan fitzgerald joins us now with three things to watch. good morning. >> reporter: sheinelle, good morning to you. that's right. thursday, california's governor confirming the highly contagious strain of the virus that's ravaging the uk has been found in a 30-year-old man from san diego. this comes after colorado announced its discovered two possible cases in national guardsmen who work at the same assisted living facility. none of the men have travelled.

dr. fauci was on "today" earlier this morning. >> obviously, you have to take it seriously. our british colleagues have shown, clearly, that it is much more efficient in spreading from person to person. the good news is it does not appear to be more virulent, namely, making people more sick and leading to more death. so that is a good thing. >> reporter: this all comes as a surge in cases sweeps the nation. here in los angeles county, the epicenter of the pandemic, hospitalizations have increased 1,000% in just two months. many doctors so overwhelmed and bracing for a surge on top of the existing surge say they could be just days away from rationing care. also, frustration growing over the slow rollout of the coronavirus vaccine. right now, more than 2 million americans have been vaccinated, but that's short of the 20 million the federal government predicted by the end of this year. two additional vaccines could be granted emergency authorization in the coming months. sheinelle? >> meagan, thank you. covid patients are getting a rare gift in lansing, a family visit.

sparrow hospital is allowing covid patients to have one in-person visitor. nbc's ellison barber was there for one of the very special reunions. ellison, good morning. >> reporter: hey, craig. you know, it is so hard for most of us to imagine seeing a loved one struggle to breathe, then rushing them to the hospital and having to leave them at the door. hundreds of thousands of americans have experienced that over the last ten months. it might be the absolutely cruelest thing about this virus, that when someone is sick and needs their person more than any other time, this virus forces us to send them away. but sparrow hospital is trying to find another option because of covid-19, it's been t

while since this man, popovich, has held his daughter's hand but on this day, that is about to change. ivana popovich is a daughter she's also a nurse at the same hospital now treating her dad for covid-19. but she works on a different floor in a different unit. some days, she feared the worst. >> you hear codes going off, an you're like, oh, my god, what room >> reporter: it's part of a new effort to help covid patients at sparrow hospital reunite with family members. ♪ happy birthday to you >> we have the ppe we have the resources. >> reporter: dr. mindy lane is leading the charge >> i know that this is not the right thing for everybody everywhere right now, in the

midst of covid, but it's the right thing for us here at sparrow hospital today >> reporter: all of the visits start with a slight change of clothes. >> move your head up and down and side to side does it feel like you have a good seal? feel like you can breathe okay okay, then you're ready to go into the room. >> i love you. >> i love you. >> hi. >> hi. >> reporter: this is an air purifying respirator it's the entire outfit, the ppe that any family member visiting a covid-19 patient has to wear before they're allowed to go inside the room. hi >> i love you so much. >> i love you. >> i'm okay now. don't worry. >> reporter: the rules one family member per patient. one visit, one hour. >> it was just amazing i mean, no words were needed just the touch through the gloves, it's so powerful. >> reporter: it was almost as if all of the bad of this year, all of the hurt, the pain, the constant fear, faded away, and tears of joy stopped time.

>> you want to keep that moment forever. you have to make every moment count. >> reporter: so this is a late christmas gift >> yes yes, the best christmas gift ever >> reporter: close to 80 covid patients have gotten to have a moment like that as of this morning. sparrow hospital says they are taking this day by day right now, their capacity levels are at a level where they can handle this. they have the resources, the ppe, to do this safely in michigan, the infection rate, as well as the rate of covid hospitalizations, that has been trending down in recent weeks. they say they are monitoring that day by day and will adjust if needed. >> sometimes you need to see someone you love, and it can help in the healing. >> that's been one of the worst part of the virus for so many families, being separated. it'd be nice if more hospitals can figure out what they're doing in michigan. >> i love that. we've covered the news now, you get the "morning boost. >> that's right. hoda is off. i'm up okay proof this morning it is never too late to start dancing.

♪ on the stereo >> cute. >> take a look at that that toddler already has the interactive video game just dance down pat here comes the move again. >> i need this game. >> wait for it. >> hey >> also has the swagger and confidence to go with it, as well >> that's fun. >> with moves like that, he might be able to get down with sheinelle jones soon. >> there you go. next halloween, come on 30 rock. all right. up next, we're going to remember dawn wells, who starred as the beloved mary ann on "gilligan's island" through her visits with us here on "today. first, these messages. (drill sergeant) what a pleasant morning. it's warm, but not too warm.

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>> welcome back it is 8:15 we're remembering the life of actress dawn wells. >> yeah, she died on wednesday at the age of 82 she died from complications from the coronavirus. wells earned a legion of fans as the loveable castaway mary ann on the '60s sitcom "gilligan's island." this morning, many of the fans are paying tribute to her life here is nbc's joe fryer. ♪ the professor and mary ann here on gilligan's isle ♪ >> reporter: she played the girl next door. >> i'd like a world without strife, universal harmony and good will. >> reporter: part of a group of castaways stranded on an island. >> where are the bandages? >> they're in her hair. >> reporter: dawn wells won hearts as mary ann when the tour turned into a three season run. >> the most beautiful.

mrs. howell is the most gracious and last but not least, maryann is the sweetest. >> reporter: her character at the center of a debate. >> ginger and mary ann, how many times have you heard it in the lifetime >> i always win when they're talking to me. they aren't going to say ginger. i'd punch them in the nose. >> show some authority >> i think i can. >> tell them. >> i think i can. >> go out and show them! >> i can >> reporter: the show's cult following, a result of re-runs. >> what was the appeal, do you think, dawn, if the critics didn't like it, why did people enjoy the show so much >> i think several reasons it's timeless. everyone has a fantasy of wanting to be marooned with my experience the last 30 years, listening to fans, it was their family. >> reporter: the end of "gilligan's island" didn't mean the end of mary ann. years later, when baywatch called, wells was ready to bring the character back for an episode. >> i thought you were a tv show. >> we are really glad you found us

for years, people have been getting on and off and island, and we were stuck until now. >> what resonated with fans? >> she would have been your girlfriend, best friend. i wouldn't try to take your boyfriend away i would have gone to the prom. i cook, clean, do it all. >> reporter: before beating out 350 other actresses, wells was ms. nevada. >> not even married and hate each other already. >> reporter: her career spanned 150 tv shows. >> judges what is in a man's heart. >> reporter: seven movies and more than 60 theatrical productions. on the 50th anniversary of "gilligan's island," she released a book, "a guide to life, what would mary ann do?" wells passed away from covid complications. >> tina louise, ginger, said, i hope everyone will remember her like i do, with a smile on her face. she had posted a holiday

message. >> mer face she had posted a holiday message. >> merry christmas happy new year have a good one. >> sorry, mary ann, i didn't mean to bump into you. >> that's all right, gilligan. you can bump into me any time you like. >> reporter: a kindness embodied on screen and in real life that will be missed for "today," joe fryer, nbc news. >> indeed, it will our guy, al roker, spent some time with dawn wells over the years when she would visit here at 1a. al posted this on instagram yesterday when news of her passing spread she was lovely and took pictures with all her fans of "gilligan's island." the original maryann died wednesday of complications of covid at 82. thoughts, prayers, and well wishes with her family. >> nice tribute. dylan, want to give us the latest on the holiday forecast >> yeah. it also makes you want to, over the holiday, find reruns and rewatch them. >> absolutely. >> it brings you back to a different time >> cheers to that.

>> we are certainly going to see some pretty messy weather as we finish off 2020. big surprise there we do have this big storm system bringing all kinds of weather through texas. we have snow and ice we've got heavy rain we're going to see the chance of severe storms today down along the gulf coast, especially through louisiana, too so here's your new year's eve forecast it is messy through the southern part of the country, and as we get to midnight tonight, we are still looking for the heavy snow to fall through central texas and still looking at the possibility of strong storms the northern side, through northern missouri, we could see icing conditions, too. it will be clear in times square, though there won't be many people there. temperatures in the mid to upper 30s. for the first day of 2021, that messy storm moves up into the great lakes. we're also looking for some snow to take hold across northern missouri icy through the ohio area and also we are going to see some of the rain continue its way into >> we've got gray skies over san francisco.

51 degrees right now. any of that rain moved in overnight will clear out by -- it's already pretty much made its exit. 423 47 in san jose. temperatures in the low 50s, and 60s. if you're heading to the coastline, a high surf advisory will remain in effect through 3:00 am tomorrow. never turn your back to a wave and please just be careful and have a great day. >> don't forget, you can catch more on "today" on sirius xm channel 108. back to you guys. >> thank you, dylan. with a tough year winding down, we wanted to share a message of hope as we head into 2021. >> there is reason to have plenty of it for the new year to come a light at the end of the tunnel and better days ahead. >> we do have some breaking news on the coronavirus front this morning. new cause for hope >> it is a historic day already in the pandemic. the first doses of a coronavirus vaccine administered in the uk

overnight. ♪ and you asked me what i want this year and the trial to make this kind and clear ♪ ♪ just a chance that maybe we'l find better days ♪ ♪ cause i don't need boxes wrapped in strings and designer love and empty things ♪ ♪ just a chance that maybe we'l find better days ♪ ♪ so take these words and sing ♪ cause everyone out loud ♪ ♪ cause everyone is forgiven now ♪ begins again

♪ tonight's the night the world begins again ♪ >> that's what i wanted to show my son we don't have to retaliate with anger. we retaliate with love ♪ something only you can give and that's faith, trust, and peace while we're alive ♪ >> i want to make this a parade, not a protest. ♪ one poor child who saved this world and there's ten million more who probably could if we all just stopped and said a prayer for them ♪ ♪ so take these words and sing w out loud ♪ ♪ cause everyone is forgiven no

cause tonight's the night the world begins again ♪ ♪ i wish everyone was loved tonight and somehow stop this endless fight just a chance tha♪ ♪ maybe we'll find better days ♪ ♪ so take these words and sing out loud ♪ ♪ cause everyone is forgiven no cause tonight's the night the

world begins again ♪ ♪ cause tonight's the night the world begins again ♪ >> oh, my goodness i was going to hold it together, until about the end. all of us are crying my goodness. >> it's good that we can cry some happy tears, too. >> yeah. >> you know what got me towards the end there, the hugs. you know, you hug anyway >> took the hugs for granted, didn't we? >> oh, my goodness, until we can hug again. >> nice seeing so many images and pictures there of doing what we do in times like this, coming together all those helpers, as hoda would say, showing up this year. that was great special thanks to producer matt gallo for reminding us of the powerful images of 2020. >> power of the human spirit hope ahead. get ready to shop. that'll make you feel better the best-selling products that kept us entertained and looking our best this year

first, your local news ♪ i'm blinded by the light good morning. i'm marcus washington. did you feel some shaking early this morning around 5:40. a 3.6 earthquake hit south of muir beach. it was felt as far as napa and all over san francisco. no reports of any damage or injuries. people on twitter responding, david callaway wrote, woke up with a bang. because of course there would be an earthquake on the last day of 2020. at least one restaurant in the east bay is defying the health order that bans both indoor and outdoor dining. danville police confirming to nbc bay area that officers will deliver fine notices to the

restaurant here on hart avenue and other businesses that violate the health order. let's get a look at the forecast. last day of the year vianey. >> we did wake up to a little bit of that rain. it's going to clear out. already pretty much cleared out. we'll see our temperatures comfortably climb into the 50s. low 60s for this evening. not worried about the rain moving back in tonight. we'll see a rather clear night in terms of the rain but i want to remind folks there's a high surf advisory in effect for the coastline until about 3:00 am tomorrow. please be careful. never turn your back to a wave. here's a look at your new year's eve forecast. we'll have another local news update coming up in 30 minutes.

♪ i'm ♪ i'm blinded by the light 8:30 on this thursday morning. new year's eve even though the massive crowd won't there be tonight, times square is getting ready for its annual and iconic ball drop. >> one of my favorite songs from 2020 by the way, speaking of the ball drop, you'll be able to enjoy it from home. who better to enjoy it with than our guy, carson daly carson, of course, continuing the tradition, hosting the evening of fun right here on nbc. including some star-studded musical performances from all over the country

it all starts at 10:00 eastern and pacific, only on nbc >> that's good good stuff also coming up in a bit, it's a segment we always love, our annual review of the year's best-selling products. no surprise, in 2020, several involved ways to pamper yourself and to get comfy and cozy at home sheinelle, you've done plenty of that. >> certainly the theme then nbc's gadi schwartz rolls up his sleeves to cook with one of the breakout tiktok stars of the year. looking ahead to the third hour, a consumer confidential that should interest a lot of families how you may be able to negotiate, that's right, negotiate lower college tuition. that's coming up on the third hour tomorrow on "today," we're shining a spotlight on small businesses that focus on two things that people always search

for at the start of a new year, health and wellness. >> that'll be another theme. first, dylan, how about the forecast >> i wish i had a better forecast for you, but we're starting off the year with a big storm system some snow falling down through texas. we also have some severe storms through louisiana. as we go into saturday, we are looking for things to turn around some snow lingering across central and northern new england. milder temperatures in the mid-atlantic and down through the southeast. things in texas, hoping to clean up from the storm we're going >> good morning. we have a beautiful start to our day. of course, we saw a little bit of that rain push through overnight. that's going to clear out for this afternoon and temperatures in the 50s. low 60s for this evening. if you will be heading to the

coast for any reason, please be careful. there's a high surf advisory that will remain in effect through 3:00 am. we're talking about dangerous waves and rip currents. temperatures will dip into the 50s and 40s and it's going to remain dry for tomorrow morning. we're giving you your football forecast a little early. i'll be watching right here in my living room don't have to go anywhere. washington heading up to philadelphia the weather looks a little unsettled, cloudy, showery, cool temperatures around 37 degrees you know, it is going to be a good night for sunday night football night in america, right here on nbc. >> battle for the nfc east >> yeah. >> dylan, it's the last day of the year a lot of folks in a celebratory mood let's celebrate some birthdays >> yeah, let's pop open some champagne and, of course, spin around the smucker's jars. we have lovely people to wish a very happy birthday to let's start with a happy 100th

birthday to alberta pearlburg. from california, expert seamstress, winning first prize at the state fair for needlepoint. how cool is that next up, kenneth maddux sr., 100 from crosby, minnesota he served in the army air corps during world war ii. we thank you for your service. irene a. bullock is also turning 100 years. she's from louisburg, north carolina her secret to a long life is putting god first. good advice. irving goldstein from flushing, new york another world war ii veteran. he writes the comedy corner column for his community newsletter thank you for your service janice saunders is celebrating 100 years. proud to have served the u.s. army as a nurse in world war ii. lots of people to thank for their service. we thank you, too, janice. and get this, happy 110th birthday.

>> wow. >> yes, 110 to pauline poly bryant of hampton, south carolina this grandmother has a fashionable sense of style it is good to live in south carolina, craig. >> i know hampton county god's country there. >> 110 >> you're a south carolinian, too. >> love it dylan, thank you. up next, from a popular hand sanitizer to iron skillets, we have the best-selling products of this year

♪ we're back. 8:37 with today's holiday consumer, as we get ready to close out this year. we're taking a look back at some of the best-selling and top-reviewed products of 2020. >> still time to buy. chassie post searched high and low to find the items people loved most. good morning to you. >> good morning.

happy almost new year. >> happy almost new year. >> chassie, you're so good at coming up with these products. what is it about this particular group that made them the best of 2020? >> well, we couldn't believe the stats on some of these best sellers. stuff like one sold every ten seconds. a wait list of 15,000 people. i can't wait to share with you guys what shopper were obsessed with this year. >> all right. let's dig in. the first one, hand sanitizer. this is mega babe, 6 bucks, and people were obsessed with it. >> yes. this is the mega babe squeaky clean. i have to tell you guys, this at launch sold out twice. there was a wait list of 15,000 people. what people love about it is, it is cdc compliant, but it is vegan and plant based. it has the most incredible orange and bergamot oil scent. it is a little luxury. they also came out this week

with great anti-bacterial wipes. people are going to love this. >> something that became ubiquitous in 2020, the face masks. everyone had to have them. you had to have multiple face masks in most cases. what is it about this particular face mask? >> yes. okay, so this best seller is by natalie mills. it is called the destiny crystal face mask. >> that's fancy. >> these are real austrian crystal on cotton, and it is machine washable. when this launched, it sold out 12 times. plus, one mask sold every 12 seconds. >> geez. >> so this is a hot, hot item. >> it's a little bit of personality. honestly, we all have to wear the masks. i think some people just wanted a little festive look here. let's look at the next one. i was in on this one, tie-dye. >> yes. this company hit two of the biggest trends of 2020 out of the park. sweats and tie-dye. this is bffs and babes. they make personalized sweat sets.

their tie-dye sorbet was the biggest seller. >> that's great. >> sold out ten times this year. they also -- another big seller is the heart you more sweatshirts, personalized, unisex, and so, so cute. >> what about the weighted blankets from tranquility? >> thousands of reviews. the brand is the number one best selling weighted blanket brand in the country. these are 15 pounders. >> wow. >> i am holding a 15 pound weighted blanket, and it feels like a warm hug. people love them. >> kids love them, too. this is interesting, lash princess mascara. >> yes. you guys will not believe the stats on this. >> oh, i have seen this one, yes. this one is good.

>> oh, my gosh. one tube of this mascara is sold every ten seconds. >> yeah. >> it's the number one best selling beauty item on amazon. 82,000 reviews. it makes your lashes look like you're wearing false lashes. >> they do. it works. >> $4.99. >> for $5, honestly, you can't beat it, chassie. you can't. >> right? >> this next one, my wife would probably enjoy this one. this is the babe waves. what are the babe waves? >> this is from trademark beauty. this best seller sold out two times, and it's allure best in beauty award. triple iron barrel. we might not be able to go to the beach, but it'll give you that wave. this was created by celebrity stylist joseph mane, who does priyanka chopra's hair. easy to use, just like a flat iron. >> i use it a lot, actually. i'm busy looking at the babe waves. no, not the last one. magnetic shape-shifting puzzle.

what is this one? >> oh, my gosh. these are the number one best selling brain teaser puzzle on amazon and barnes & noble. you can create different shapes with these. they're part brain teaser, part puzzle, part fidget toy. perfect for the quarantine times that we've been in. people are obsessed with these >> this next one speaks to my soul. we're talking hot sauce here. not just any hot sauce, chassie. >> not just any hot sauce, yes. this is truffle infused hot sauce. >> oh. >> guys, i mean, from oprah to pharrell, celebrities are obsessed with this. it's the number one best selling hot sauce, not only on amazon, but also whole foods. this is their variety pack. 28 of these sold every hour over the past three months. it's been a huge best seller.

it's so beautiful. >> it is. >> i mean, chic, right? >> i love that. >> truffle hot sauce. >> put some of fries, and voila. chassie, thank you, as always. to get your hands on these best selling items, head to today.com/shop. up next, we're going to do some cooking with the college kid whose talent in the kitchen made him a social media made him a social media sensation in 2020.

(soft music) hey dad, i'm about to leave. don't forget your hat . good morning. how can i help? i need help connecting with my students. behind every last minute save, ok, that works. and holiday surprise, thank you! a customer service rep is working unseen, making it happen.

and at genesys, we're proud to help them help you everyday. welcome back. from welcome back from banana bread to sourdough starters, our social media feeds in 2020 have been dominated by the cooking trends in the quarantine. >> it's true one college student put his spin on things, sharing his passion on tiktok. now, he has nearly 2 million followers. gadi schwartz got the chance to cook alongside him virtually, of course >> reporter: so i have to ask, how did you get into this? >> i was sent home early from college last semester.

i started making videos to kind of pass the time i guess it combined all of my interests and all of my past experience into, i guess, the perfect storm. >> reporter: a perfect storm or just the right ingredients for jeremy, whose passion for food has inspired millions to see what he's cooking. >> wow, 8 million views on the last pasta video i really can't believe it. >> reporter: not just any followers. some of the biggest stars in the world, like lizzo and kylie jenner, taking notice. >> what i do on tiktok is what i've been doing and preparing for for five years. >> reporter: is cooking making a comeback >> definitely. i think people are at home, going back to the basics, and craving food >> reporter: in a quick scroll down jeremy's page, from his pasta dishes to baked goods, can leave your stomach grumbling. >> this is basically adult mac and cheese. >> reporter: with a little prep, we were off. jeremy supervising my attempt at

his potatoes that have gotten more than 23 million views >> so we have our potatoes let's dump them in the pan. >> reporter: okay. >> then we're going to take some oil. >> reporter: okay. >> i'm using avocado oil you can use vegetable oil. >> reporter: i mean, this is california of course we have avocado oil. >> now for the seasonings. >> reporter: rosemary. >> oregano, if you have it. >> reporter: couple shakes of oregano. this is looking more and more beautiful. >> so we're going to put them in the oven at 450. >> reporter: okay. all right. so here we go. while the potatoes started to get crispy, we chatted about the good old days, before phones were always in the kitchen these videos are so short. does it almost feel like sometimes these tiktok videos are like a cookbook? >> i think there are benefits and disadvantages to it. for example, my mom, she has four kids.

she's not opening a cookbook she wants to watch something for 60 seconds, get the gist of it, and do her own thing. >> reporter: for those needing a more step by step explanation, jeremy points to his website. >> i try to explain things, but it is only one minute. there's only so much you can explain. >> reporter: when you dodig in, no further explanation needed. look at this for "today," gadi schwartz, nbc news >> yum followed by 2 million people not bad. up next, lives well lived. remarkable people lost to covid this year. first, this is "today" on nbc. ♪ we're back with our ongoing sees "lives well lived."ri ♪ ♪ digital transformation has failed to take off.

because it hasn't removed the endless mundane work we all hate. ♪ ♪ automation can solve that by taking on repetitive tasks for us. unleash your potential. uipath. reboot work.

♪ we're back with our ongoing series "lives well lived." 2020 has been a devastating year for so many families who lost love we're back with our ongoing series "lives well lived." 2020 has been a devastating year for so many families who lost loved ones to the coronavirus.

>> this morning, nbc's senior national correspondent kate snow is taking time to honor some of those remarkable people. kate >> reporter: good morning, guys. with more than 300,000 lives lost to covid, it's just overwhelming to think of all those families every loss leaves a huge hole and a legacy that their loved ones want to share sister victoria marie indig always seemed to have a smile on her face. >> she was a joyful person. >> reporter: the 69-year-old sister from the blessed virgin mary in michigan was a nurse by training one of her passions was traveling to haiti each year to work in their mission. >> she'd have a health clinic. >> reporter: her loss to covid-19 hit the convent hard, but she wasn't the only one. they lost 13 sisters and couldn't even say good-bye >> god willing, when this covid is finished, that we will have an in-person gathering here at the temple, celebrating their

lives. the families can come, and we can really truly hug one another and memorialize these sisters. >> reporter: laura escalanti >> reporter: taught in her village for more than 20 years. her daughter said she taught some kids from kindergarten through high school. >> she loved all of her students all, all of them she knew what their potential was and how successful they could be if they kept their mind right. deeply about her culture starting at 16, she performed the traditional buffalo dance, an honor and highlight of her life >> everybody loved to watch my mom dance.

she knew it, too she knew that she was cool they bring her home, and we'd all be waiting for her >> reporter: i can see it. >> i can, too. i can, too >> reporter: laura was also a grandmother to her 15 grandchildren. >> she wasn't native american to be native american it was who she was >> reporter: if you mentioned powell's name over the last four decades, everybody had a story it wasn't just that hecky's barbecue became an institution here, it seems everybody had a personal connection to the man. >> if you were his friend, even if you'd done something wrong, he was still your friend he was there for you

>> reporter: he had lots of friends. when he wasn't serving up the best chicken and ribs around, he was mentoring young people days after his death, evanston turned out in massive numbers, creating their own traffic jam, just to pay their respects to his wife, sheryl >> he's genuine, number one. he was no nonsense straight shooter he gave his all to a lot of people >> reporter: anyone who knew 28-year-old resident knew she was on course to fulfill her dreams. >> sounds like she wanted to be a doctor for so long. >> she would have her dolls and stethoscope. >> reporter: it was no surprise when she graduated medical school and moved to houston to begin a residency. >> she was a happy go lucky person >> reporter: covid hit houston hard despite having pre-existing

conditions, adaline began a rotation in the e.r. >> all adaline wanted was to be the best sister in this world for us >> reporter: but her sister, natalie, says with what she calls a hollow sadness comes an important message, as well. >> and i always remind myself now, i have one shot at this i want to live so big, like she did. if that means i have to wear a mask for six months and stay home for six months and wait for covid to be over to live as big as i want, i'm going to do that. because i think what this taught us is that you just never know when it is going to be it. >> reporter: such an important reminder, to hold on to every moment and live big once it's safe to do that. many of the families i've spoken to this year have said the same thing. they beg us all to stay safe, wear masks, and socially distance guys >> kate snow for us. >> my goodness

that'll stick with me, live big. >> 343,000 souls lost to covid this year. >> kate did a good job you hear the numbers, but when you hear the stories -- i went to northwestern university, and hecky's at evanston, illinois, was an institution we all stopped by there. so all of these folks, you know, one at a time, certainly made a difference in their communities, in the lives they touched. i know they'll all be missed. >> gone but not forgotten. the third and fourth hours of "today" are straight ahead. folks, have a happy and safe new year's we're back after your local news. >> happy new year. >> good morning. 8:56. i'm marcus washington. did you feel some early shaking around 5:40 this morning. an earthquake hit south of muir beach. it was felt across the bay area as far as napa and all over san francisco. no reports of any damage or injuries. people on twitter responding. david callaway wrote, woke us up

with a bang. because, of course, there would be an earthquake on the last day of 2020. and carrie marshall said she felt a short roller in sausalito. happening now, danville police confirmed that nbc -- to the nbc bay area that officers are delivering fine notices to incontrado ristorante and other restaurants that violate the health order. they would not confirm the number or amount of fines but they could go as high as $1,000 a day. nbc bay area reached out to the restaurant owner who did not want to comment. we spoke to one customer who drove from walnut creek to support the restaurant after hearing the owner was being fined for staying open. that customer argued by banning outdoor dining you leave fewer choices for get-togethers which are ultimately going to happen. we'll have another local news and weather update in an hour.

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use the chevy employee discount for everyone to get over six thousand eight hundred dollars below msrp on this equinox. get the chevy employee discount for everyone today. from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza, this is the "3rd hour of today." >> good morning, everybody welcome to the "3rd hour of today. that was my quiet voice in the open because we're not live. >> i mean, we're here. >> we're here. >> we are here. >> we're live now. >> yes. >> it is not like we're dead well, we could be by the time this happens assume not i'm al, with sheinelle and craig. dylan is off it is december 31st. my producers are yelling in my ear, going, "al! we're ready to kick 2020 to the curb. >> yes, we are >> usher in a new year >> there you go. >> we have a spectacular program for you toda