vehicles including a semi and nails in the lane. the richmond bridge, the rain with slick conditions. >> take it easy out there. that will do it for thus monday morning. >> and we have storm ranger working hard while we're off air. we'll see you tomorrow. good morning caught on tape. >> i just want to find, uh, 11,780 votes. >> in a stunning hour-long caught on tape. >> i just want to find, uh, 11,780 votes. >> in a stunning hour-long recorded call, the president pushing, pressuring and trying to persuade georgia's top election official to overturn the state's results. >> there's nothing wrong with saying that, you know, that you've recalculated. >> well, mr. president, the challenge that you have is the data you have is wrong. >> just ahead, do the president's tactics amount to a crime?

and the republican party divides over that last-ditch gambit in congress to challenge the election. all living defense secretaries, spearheaded in an effort by dick cheney, say it is over. new year, new surge. >> this thing is completely out of control. >> record holiday travel and packed illegal parties fueling another massive covid wave in america. >> going to the hospitals, going into the intensive care units and see what's happening those are real people, real deaths. >> we don't have four hours to sit in the car. just ahead the plan to cut some doses in half to speed up the rollout. hospitalized legendary broadcaster larry king, being treated for covid-19 in los angeles the well wishes now pouring in and what a family friend is telling us about his road ahead. all that, plus final

jeopardys. >> here is the host of "jeopardy!" alex trebek. >> his final jeopardys airing this week. >> he comes out and -- i just got chills gives this absolutely amazing speech and the tough times we're in. >> and the executive producer will join us with a preview "today," monday, january 4th, 2021 >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb, from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> hi, everybody good morning welcome to "today" on this first monday of the new year it's good to have you with us. now we can start the new year. hoda, good morning. >> it's good to -- i missed you over the holidays. >> i did, too. >> it's good to see you this morning. >> lots going on already,

including that troubling post christmas coronavirus surge to tell you about. >> indeed, topping 20 million cases and 351,000 deaths, those numbers fueling the urgency for vaccines take a look at this. that's a line for shots at just one clinic in florida. we will have complete coverage on that, straight ahead. >> but first, that top story, an extraordinary recording of president trump on the phone, pressuring georgia officials to change the vote count there. joe biden's team blasting that call as an assault on american democracy. we've got two reports. let's get started. white house correspondent peter alexander at his post. peter, good morning to you. >> hey, savannah, good morning to you in this it stunning hour-long call, the president berates, at times begs georgia's secretary of state to overturn the election results there multiple counts have reaffirmed that joe biden won georgia by 12,000 votes, and all of this comes a day before a dozen

republican senators say they will reject joe biden's victory, an effort that is certain to fail president trump on tape, pushing georgia election officials to overturn his defeat. >> i just want to find, uh, 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have, because we won the state. >> reporter: nbc news obtained a recording of saturday's entire 62-minute call the president and his advisers on the line, complaining about georgia's certified vote tally. >> i think you have to say you're going to re-examine it. >> reporter: urging georgia's secretary of state brad raffensperger to reverse his vote. >> the people of georgia are angry. the people in the country are angry and there's nothing wrong with saying you've recalculated. >> raffensperger responds -- >> mr. president, the problem is that the challenge you have, the

data you have is wrong. >> reporter: the president at one point pressuring him to stick with his party. >> you should want to have an accurate election. and you're a republican. >> we believe we do have an accurate election. >> no. no, you don't. >> reporter: mr. trump also cites a debunked conspiracy theory that georgia election officials and a company tampered with ballots. >> they are shredding ballots in my opinion, based on what i've heard, and removing machinery as fast as they can. >> reporter: the secretary of state's general counsel flatly dismissing that. >> what we're see something not at all what you're describing. >> reporter: the president pushing back when raffensperger suggests some of the information on social media cannot be trusted. >> the problem you have with >> no, this isn't social media this is trump media. >> reporter: still, president trump threatens the officials that they could face legal consequences. >> you know what they did and you're not reporting it. that's a criminal -- that's a criminal offense.

>> reporter: it comes two days before at least a dozen senate republicans, all trump loyalists, have said they'll vote to reject joe biden's electoral college win, demanding congress set up a commission to audit the election still the republican rebellion splitting the party and causing chaos does not have any chance of changing the results because enough republicans have already said they will vote to certify biden's victory. and former republican house speaker paul ryan is criticizing his former colleagues, calling their move the most anti-democratic and anti-conservative act he could think of, saying that biden's win is legitimate. and then there's this extraordinary op-ed you referenced earlier all ten former defense secretaries, including both of those that served for president trump, argue the military should not be used in any way to try to change the outcome of the election former defense secretary william rry tweeting former vice president dick cheney originated that idea for the op-ed.

savannah and hoda? >> they say the time for challenging the election has passed, all those remedies have been worn out. chief white house correspondent hallie jackson now joins us. hallie, if you listen to that call, i know you have, there's a lot to unpack there in terms of unfounded claims, conspiracy theories we're going to let you have at it first of all, the basic fact, hallie, the votes in georgia were counted and recounted, and recounted again in some cases by hand. >> right. >> and that secretary of state said i voted for trump and donated to his campaign. >> there could not have been more scrutiny, savannah, on specifically the vote count in georgia. you're right the most important reality check here is about what the president said incorrectly about winning georgia. to be clear, he did not win georgia. he actually lost that state by nearly 12,000 votes. beyond that, the president, as you note, made a whole bunch of other claims, things that aren't true, many of those claims rooted in conspiracy theories that have been bouncing around

the internet for a while here. for example, the president talked about the fact that 5,000 dead people voted in georgia and that thousands of people voted from out of state. the secretary of state, a republican, said two ballots came from dead voters. another official told the president on those out of state voters, those people lived in georgia, moved to a different state, but moved back to georgia legitimately years ago the president claimed hundreds of thousands of ballots ended up dropped, mysteriously, in voter rolls. referencing it seems the votes tallied up after election night and later those were not mysterious. those were mail-in ballots those had been expected to mostly favor joe biden since the president had been telling his supporters to vote in person president trump also referenced so-called corruption with voting machines his own administration officials said a week after the election that there was no evidence that any voting system lost or changed votes or was compromised, savannah. yeah, you're right definitely a lot to unpack from

those call. >> i think one of those voting system companies is talking about suing for defamation because of those accusations also want to mention that we are two days away from the january 6th certification by congress of the election. normally this is a yawn, something perfunctory that gets done but now you've got a group of republican senators who want to challenge it, and a group of republicans who say, oh, no, that violates the tenets of our democracy. walk us through what to expect. >> this is a little bit different, because it is not just democrats who often oppose the president and come out being concerned ability this, and this is members of the gop as well. it will be extraordinary drama going down in congress you're right, it's typically on wednesday, a routine, rubber stamping of election results we typically wouldn't cover it in years past. we will this year because of the senators who plan to reject the certification of joe biden

you see them on the screen here. to be quite clear, those rejections are going fail and in both chambers, because enough republican senators have come out opposing those that it is just a nonstarter. that's not alleviating concerns from even members of the republican party who worry this sends a dangerous signal about the democratic process savannah >> lots to unpack, hallie. thank you. we appreciate it happy new year. turning now to the coronavirus and new fears the pandemic is about to get even worse. after millions of americans traveled over the holidays this, with hospitals in many parts of the country already maxed out. we have complete coverage for you. we'll start with nbc's tom costello at reagan national. hey, tom, good morning. >> reporter: hey, hoda, good morning. so, this is a familiar pattern we've seen going back to last spring we have a surge, and people traveling over holiday break, followed a few days later by a surge in ers and icus, patients who are desperate for help we had about a million people traveling each day over the last

few days and now health experts are bracing for that surge that they feel is imminent. >> reporter: despite health experts nationwide pleading with americans to stay home - >> the centers for disease control and prevention recommends social distancing. >> reporter: millions of americans are back home this morning after traveling over the holidays. >> we really wanted to see my family. >> reporter: on new year's day alone, the tsa screened more than 800,000 people. a few days before more than 1.2 million travelers took to the skies. the biggest single travel day since the start of the pandemic. >> it's a risk we're taking, like if we do get sick, but it was worth it, because we had fun. >> reporter: experts fear that fun could mean disaster in america's hospitals. >> my concern is that it could get worse over the next couple of weeks, as we see the lag that happens when an event occurs like the christmas and new year's holiday. >> reporter: pope francis criticized vacationers who

traveled to avoid lockdowns, saying they thought only about going on holiday and having fun. this pained me a lot nationwide, images of packed parties and giant gatherings have flooded social media. in new york, police shut down an illegal karaoke party with more than 300 people. in l.a., the sheriff's department raided five new year's eve super spreader parties. >> what corona >> reporter: in florida, maskless vacationers flooded beaches and packed pool parties with little to no social distancing at start of the first full week of 2021, america's covid death toll stands at more than 351,000. the number is stunning the equivalent of a 9/11 scale attack every day for 117 days straight by far the highest death toll in the world, with more than 20 million americans confirmed to have been infected, but the

president is falsely claiming that the number of cases and deaths is far exaggerated. dr. anthony fauci pushing back. >> go into the trenches. go into the hospitals. go into the intensive care units and see what is happening. those are real numbers, real people and real deaths. >> reporter: one big concern continues to be that the vaccination rate is much slower than the administration promised or that health experts had hoped for. so now the top doctor at operation warp speed is suggesting that maybe they should consider cutting the moderna vaccine in half to get more people vaccinated quicker, but that's only a discussion right now. it is not yet a decision hoda, back to you. >> tom costello for us at reagan national thank you. let's focus on that situation inside u.s. hospitals. this latest surge is further stressing an already overwhelmed system front line workers are sounding the alarm on what's to come in the days and week ago.

national correspondent miguel alma gear is inside of the ambulance bay at st. joseph's medical center in los angeles. miguel, good morning. >> savannah, good morning. here in california, the number of people inside icus has more than doubled in one month's time and some hospitals here in california may be just days away from rationing care. >> reporter: this morning, the new year is bringing new peaks in the pandemic, as a flood of covid patients are overwhelming a health care system already in crisis. >> come back and look with me. i have no beds i have nowhere to put you. >> reporter: with the nation now surpassing 350,000 covid deaths, top health officials warn an expected post-holiday surge will have a wide-ranging ripple effect. >> if you have someone going into labor, having a heart attack, or gets into a car accident on an icy road, they may not have a bed. >> reporter: across the nation there's a growing wait to get care ambulances lining up for up to six hours to offload patients in jackson, mississippi, and up to eight hours in memphis and los angeles.

hospitals in new mexico are already prioritizing patient care in l.a. county, triage teams are ready to ration resources once they activate crisis standards of care, meaning doctors will evaluate and score patients based on their likelihood of benefiting from intensive treatment. then a hospital committee will decide which patients are moved out of the icu to free up resources, including ventilators, making room for others with a more favorable prognosis. and families will no longer decide how their loved ones are cared for. angeliqua's husband. he has been transferred out of the icu. >> my biggest concern for my husband transferred elsewhere is that he is going to regress and become very ill again with covid. >> reporter: meantime in northern california, more than 40 staff members at this hospital have tested positive

for the virus. officials are investigating if an inflatable costume used to spread holiday cheer on christmas may have been the source of the outbreak this morning, with hospitals on the brink, there is fear the looming surge could spool the new year and early this morning, we learned one of those hospital officials in northern california actually passed away from covid that was infected over christmas. officials also say at least six people here in california have been infected with that highly contagious strain of covid from the uk savannah, back to you. >> all right thank you very much, miguel. joining us now, dean of brown university school of public health, dr. ashish jha we're short on time. let's get right to it. this new strain of coronavirus, you said you had preferred that being more deadly would have been better than being more contagious, that being more contagious is extremely concerning. >> i would not rather have it be

more deadly overall but the problem of it being more contagious, it will end up infecting so many more people that the total number of people who end up getting sick and die will be much, much worse we underestimate how powerful a more contagious virus can be. >> makes sense to me let me talk about some of these proposals that are out there the doctor ahead of the vaccine effort for the trump administration has suggested that maybe you should half the dose that you get of the moderna vaccine, but you are out with a different proposal and have everybody get the first dose and delay the second dose to vaccinate more people during this emergency time. what are the pros and cons there? >> yes first of all, i think we all wish we weren't in this position, that we had produced enough vaccines and the federal government had done a good job to work with states so we could mass vaccinating right now we're not. that's where we are, yet we're

in this surge. i think both of the suggestions, half the dose or delay the second dose gets us a little bit away from where the clinical trials have been, and that makes me nervous i don't -- ideally like to stick as close to the clinical trials. there's good trials -- these aren't made-up ideas i think it's at least worth exploring it. there is good day ta to suggestt is a good idea. >> we'll have more to talk about in the days ahead, dr. jha thank you very much. appreciate it. >> thank you. >> 18 minutes past the hour. al has got the day off and we've got dylan working from home. hey, dylan. >> good morning, guys. happy new year to both of you. we are starting off this new year with really quiet weather, in fact. we had some wintry weather and rain move through the northeast last night and early this morning. we still have lingering snow showers but that storm is pulling away we'll get a break before the next storm system develops this one will start wednesday,

bringing mostly rain through the southern plains, into the gulf coast as we go through wednesday night and thursday we'll have to keep an eye on this storm as it approaches virginia and the carolinas friday, the northern edge of that could produce a little bit of snow with colder air. for today, things will improve in the northeast we have lake-effect snow the messiest spots will be in the pacific northwest with heavy rain and mountain snow as well that's a look at the weather across the country we'll get a look at your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds ♪ wow ♪ uh-huh $0 copays on primary care visits and lab tests. ♪ wow ♪ uh-huh plus, $0 copays on hundreds of prescription drugs. ♪ wow ♪ uh-huh unitedhealthcare medicare advantage plans. including the only plans with the aarp name. most plans have a $0 premium. it's time to take advantage. ♪ wow

meteorologist kari hall. let's take a look at storm ranger. we're tracking this rain coming in. it will be off and on especially this morning and into the early afternoon hours before this rain gradually tapers off. nbc bay area app you'll be able to track those showers and get alerts as rain moves into your location. we'll see another round of rain moving in on wednesday, and then a third round of rain for this week on friday, although it looks like the rain today will be the heaviest of the three systems. and that's your latest forecast back to you guy. >> dylan, thank you. >> well wishes and prayers are pouring in for larry king as the broadcast legend battles coronavirus from a hospital in california this morning. we're live there with the latest. long waits, crashing websites and a lot of confusion. we'll be live at a clinic in florida with an inside look at the problems facing the vaccine rollout from coast to cacolifornia phones offers free specialized phones... like cordless phones.

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it's the final days of the wish list sales event sign and drive off in a new lincoln with zero down, zero due at signing, and a complimentary first month's payment. a very good morning to you. it is 7:26. i'm laura garcia. a live look outside right now. a new round of rain rolling into the bay area. kind of a soggy start to our monday morning. let's check in with meteorologist kari hall tracking the conditions. yeah, you want to make sure you have your umbrella handy because we will see not only the rain but also some high winds. as we track it all with storm ranger our mobile doppler radar, we can see the widespread rain we're getting across much of the bay area right now especially the south bay. we haven't seen a lot of it here yet, but it's been moving through in waves, even as we go

into this afternoon still looking at times of showers clearing out this evening, and then we're all dry for tomorrow. there will be some more rain right behind that as we head to wednesday. so there will be a couple of storms passing by this week as we are going to see that next round of rain kind of weakening before it gets here. we're still looking at the wet weather today and those high winds that may reach up to 40 miles per hour. we're looking at some upper 50s tomorrow and then once again some spotty, light showers on wednesday. and we've been following a traffic alert this morning. mike, what's the update? well, kari, it looks like we're still looking at the big jam. look at the dublin cameras just jammed up westbound 580. we're, in fact, about three miles as far as we measure on our sensors over there at the west 580 to the dublin interchange. the third crash cleared but the second one still leaves a semi truck and nails.

shifting traffic to 84. a live look shows you the conditions kari is talking about. even though traffic is lighter like at the bay bridge toll plaza, it's slippery out there, laura. back to you. all right. be careful. we'll see you in half an hour. ♪ ♪ oh, this is how it starts

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did you come up with the right one? no? what is we love you alex. that's very kind. thank you. >> super sweet. we're back now with one of the most memorable final "jeopardy!" answers ever. a contestant's sweet gesture to the host's battle against cancer. the show will air the beloved host's final episodes, including a powerful message from alex trebek himself. we'll speak live with "jeopardy's" executive producer coming up.

>> they were taped before his death and they held them until now so people could really enjoy those final episodes. breaking news, wikileaks julian assange cannot be extra indicted to the united states to face charges here because extradition would be, quote, oppressive because ofs a sau as mental health. prosecutors say they will appeal that decision. the 117th congress was officially sworn in on sunday. lawmakers wasted no time getting to one important piece of business. >> the honorable nancy pelosi of the state of california, having received a majority of the votes cast is duly elected speaker of the house of representatives for the 117th congress. >> nancy pelosi was narrowly re-elected as house speaker, california democrat who has led her party in the house since 2003 won with 216 votes. 209 votes went to republican

kevin mccarthy who again will be the chamber's minority leader. and now to football. the nfl regular season wrapping up yesterday with the washington football team grabbing the final playoff spot. >> four-man rush. back to the end zone. reaching up and making the grab for the touchdown, logan thomas. >> washington took the lead just before halftime, and it would hold on to beat the eagles 20-14, but that game did not come without controversy. the eagles put in its third string quarterback early in the fourth quarter and a lot of people on social media are speculating that philadelphia might have been trying to lose the game to get a better draft pick. eagles head coach doug pederson denied those accusations after the game. i know my husband was up late. now we have something to talk about at dinner tonight. >> yes, you certainly do. now to the well wishes for broadcasting legend larry king as he receives treatment for the coronavirus in a los angeles

hospital this morning. nbc's meagan fitzgerald is there. meagan, good morning. >> hoda, good morning. yes, that is right. a source close to the family is confirming for nbc news that larry king is in fact being treated here at cedar-sinai being treated for covid-19. we know he has a history of serious health issues, which is why friends and family alike are pulling for his recovery. >> reporter: this morning, prayers are pouring in for broadcasting icon larry king. a friend of the family telling nbc news the 87-year-old has been hospitalized in los angeles for about ten days, after contracting the coronavirus. adding that his first day in the hospital his condition was bad, but he has since been released from the icu. actress lynda carter tweeting thinking of my dear friend, larry king, and rooting for him. former cnn colleague christiane amanpour writing, praying for

the king. the legendary interviewer seen here smiling healthy with his kids. he has type two diabetes and had a blood flow issue according to the "new york post." he also battled health disease as well as lung and prostate cancer. in 2019, he suffered a near-fatal stroke that left him in a coma for weeks. >> i didn't want to live dependent on others. >> reporter: in an emotional interview with tv station ktla last year, king admitted his health problems even made him contemplate suicide, but his 20-year-old son, chance, talked him out of it. >> he started to cry and he said, you can't leave us. you can't leave us. and i changed that minute. the best thing i ever did in my life was be a father. >> reporter: king's son, chance, also contracted covid, according to the family friend. as a parent, king went through

more devastation last summer when two of his five children died within weeks of each other. his 65-year-old son, andy, suffered a fatal heart attack in july. his only daughter, kaya, passed away in august at age 51 after being diagnosed with lung cancer. king posting on facebook, losing them feels so out of order. no parent should have to bury a child. >> we need to tell you off the top -- >> reporter: now many pray the beloved broadcast legend is summoning that fortitude to fight covid head on. >> definitely a lot of prayers going up for larry king. meagan, do they have any indication of how he got the virus? >> reporter: hoda, a source close to the family say they believe he contracted covid-19 from a health care worker that visited the home. his three children not able to be by his side because of covid-19 protocol here at cedar sinai, which is a heartbreaking situation that many families across the nation are experiencing.

hoda? >> indeed. meagan, thank you so much. coming up next, the challenges and the confusion over the vaccine rollout all over the u.s. and why it is not keeping pace with the number of available doses. s. kerry sanders is live at a vaccination site where those issues are all too apparent. heart disease... ...but could your medication do more to lower your heart risk? jardiance can reduce the risk of cardiovascular death for adults who also have known heart disease. so, it could help save your life from a heart attack or stroke. and it lowers a1c. jardiance can cause serious side effects including dehydration, ...genital yeast or urinary tract infections, and sudden kidney problems. ketoacidosis is a serious side effect that may be fatal. a rare but life-threatening bacterial infection in the skin of the perineum could occur. stop taking jardiance and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of this bacterial infection,

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word is frustration. some people have shown up here today without an appntmeoi because they say every time they go to the website that's been set up for people 65 and older to get a vaccination, it crashes. so far, the nationwide vaccine rollout has been pretty chaotic, from texas to tennessee, to florida. people waiting in lines for hours for a shot. >> this is the most insane thing. no port-a-potties and there are three people working the entire line. >> reporter: seniors in florida frustrated by the disorganization. >> we don't have four hours to sit in the car. >> reporter: the process not going as expected. >> the rollout of this vaccine has been really screwed up and we can point fingers all we want it's just an issue with the federal government, the state government, the local government. >> we're not teenagers we're talking about 75 and seniors. >> reporter: add into the mix thousands of health care workers due to get their second dose of the vaccine starting today

new york nurse sandra lindsay who got the first shot in the u.s. gets her second dose today in a few hours through january 2nd, 4.2 million people have received vaccines. that's well below initial projections of 20 million by the end of december. last month, health and human services secretary alex azar told savannah he was confident in the national vaccination plan. >> late february, into march time period i think you'll start seeing much more like a flu vaccination campaign, people going into their kroeger, cvs, walgreens. >> the general population? >> yeah, yeah. >> reporter: now, states are scramble to cobble together plans. in tennessee, the health department turning people away four hours after opening. >> i asked the cop what's going on he said we're clearing you all out. they ran out. >> reporter: websites to make appointments in palm beach and broward keep crashing. in wisconsin, a pharmacist under arrest for intentionally leaving vaccines out of refrigerated

storage. >> this means that the 57 vaccinations administered december 26th were rendered less effective or ineffective. >> reporter: in california, an unexpected twist riverside county public health director says half of front line workers there refused the vaccine. others at a loss to explain that resistance. >> i want it to be over with, and this is a giant step to do that. >> so many big promises and people are just waiting and hoping kerry, there are other vaccines in the pipeline. they haven't been approved yet what's the timeline there? >> reporter: well, as you know, it's pfizer and moderna right now that have emergency use authorization. it's expected johnson & johnson is going to apply for the same sort of authorization in february, which is important to note that unlike the other two that i mentioned, the johnson & johnson will be just one jab in the arm and then you're done. astrazeneca in england, over in

the united kingdom, now has approval bottom line, anthony fauci giving us some sense of hope that he believes mid-january, a couple of weeks from now, we should see as many as a million people a day getting vaccinated. savannah >> let's hope. kerry, thank you very much. 7:44 now time for another check of the weather with dylan dreyer. hey, girl. >> good morning again, guys. we are going to see warmer temperatures, especially back through the middle of the country. if it's been a little too chilly for you lately, you will see a nice reprieve from that. temperatures will be running 15 degrees above average. south dakota, 50 degrees for a high temperature minneapolis, 37. that's 13 degrees above average. at least we are getting above freezing into tomorrow, we will see some of those warmer temperatures begin to move to the east and we will top out with highs in the upper 40s to around 50 degrees in some spots. green bay, above average but a

little cooler at 35 degrees. as we continue into the rest of the week, we are going to see some temperatures a little bit above average, especially in new york, with highs in the low to mid 40s. so, it is going to stay on the milder side, which kind of sets the stage for that late-week storm system that could produce mostly rain, especially for areas down into virginia and north and south carolina things are quiet for the most part excep good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. let's take a look at storm ranger, tracking some widespread rain moving through the bay area. it's also kicking up some very high winds. watch out for the potential of damaging winds and the rain continuing throughout the morning. it will start to taper off by tonight. tomorrow we're all dry. another wave of rain coming through on wednesday and then a third storm system arriving on friday. all of these other systems do look a lot weaker than we'll see for today. >> and that's your latest

forecast back to you guys. >> all right, dylan, thank you. an encouraging update on the college basketball star who collapsed on the court his return to the sidelines for the first time since his health scare. that is coming up right after this unusually high energy, even when depressed. overwhelmed by bipolar i? ask about vraylar. some medicines only treat the lows or highs. vraylar effectively treats depression, acute manic and mixed episodes of bipolar i in adults. full-spectrum relief for all bipolar i symptoms, with just one pill, once a day. elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis have an increased risk of death or stroke. call your doctor about unusual changes in behavior or suicidal thoughts. antidepressants can increase these in children and young adults. report fever, stiff muscles, or confusion, which may mean a life-threatening reaction, or uncontrollable muscle movements, which may be permanent. side effects may not appear for several weeks.

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college basketball star to collapsed during a game. three weeks later, he now rejoined his team. we're happy to say that. here is nbc's sam brock. standout keyontae johnson was >> of course, keyon tae johnson not playing, but he is in the bench area. >> reporter: a welcomed sight on the sidelines. just weeks after a frightening on-court collapse. university of florida basketball standout keyontae johnson was back on the bench as a gator's coach in a showdown with the lsu tigers. >> he's a leader, you know he's charismatic he loves his teammates. >> johnson with the strong finish. >> reporter: during a game last month against florida state, johnson threw down a dunk, then moments later, following a time-out, collapsed face first on to the hardwood the 21-year-old taken off the court by stretcher, as his visibly shaken teammates tried to console each other. >> we've had a heartbreaking situation. >> reporter: johnson was hospitalized and eventually

transported back to gainesville in critical but stable condition. then his health improved markedly. >> hey, everybody, first and foremost i would like to thank god. >> reporter: days later the junior forward posted a message of gratitude. >> me and my parents are very grateful for the prayers that have been going out. >> reporter: johnson and several of his teammates reportedly contracted covid-19 last year though neither the school nor the team has confirmed any connection, if there is one, to the star player's on-court scare. >> he has been serving as a coach, as a scout. >> reporter: with return to the court as a player this season considered unlikely, watching from a seat reserved for coach key, he helped guide the gators to victory. >> the florida gators have beaten the lsu tigers. >> really has just given us a lot of good commands i was thankful for him. >> reporter: his return leading to an outpouring of support on social media from fans one twitter user writing 2021 is already looking better than 2020

love to see it for "today," sam brock, nbc news. >> that's cool. >> uh-huh. just ahead, guys, the farewell message alex trebek wanted us to hear. "jeopardy's" executive producer will join us. then the brand new music video from harry styles. and the perfect message and music ahead. hoda, get ready to dance it's happening first a check of your local news and weather. i was still feeling depressed. is there anything more i can do? yes, adding rexulti may help. when taken with an antidepressant, rexulti was proven to reduce depression symptoms an extra 62% compared to the antidepressant alone. so you can stay on your current treatment and help build on your progress. rexulti can cause serious side effects. elderly dementia patients have increased

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a very good monday morning to you. i'm laura garcia. a live look outside at the san mateo bridge. strong winds moving in right now. to meteorologist kari hall who is tracking the latest storms for us. yeah, we can see it on storm ranger. it's pretty much covering much of the bay area right now. we're going to see this rain off and on throughout the morning, the early afternoon as well before it gradually tapers off this evening. we'll have a dry day tomorrow and another wave of showers moving through on wednesday. we're looking at another storm moving in on friday, and we'll be tracking it all as you have the nbc bay area app, alerts as rain approaches your location. and, mike, getting out the door this morning may be a problem for some.

yeah. there's still delays but much better now over my shoulder. let's show you the live camera for dublin and 580. word that all lanes are clear, all three crashes, near the dublin interchange for west 580. much better movement here. another look at 580, this time at the richmond-san rafael bridge. the conditions out there, water on the lens, of course, and the roadways. despite the rain, light traffic does keep things moving pretty well. also, it allows you to go at the speed limit. you may need to slow down. laura? good advice there. another local news update in half an hour. have a safe monday morning. businesses today are looking to tomorrow. adapting. innovating.

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it's 8:00 on "today. coming up on the record, in an hour-long phone call, president trump urges georgia's secretary of state to find the votes to overturn the state's election results. >> i think you have to say that you're going to re-examine it. >> this morning the fallout on capitol hill and what this all means with inauguration day right around the corner. we're live with the latest plus, final sign-off "jeopardy!" prepares to air alex trebek's final episode this is week. >> he comes out and gives this absolutely -- i just got chills. gives this absolutely amazing speech.

>> just ahead, the show's executive producer is going to join us live. >> and start today, we'll catch up with valerie bertinelli who will share a simple dish to help us all get back on track as we kick off a new day, "today," january 4th, 2021. today is a big day. >> for "today's" biggest fan. >> it's my 18th birthday. >> good morning, "today" show. we're the romeros from prescott, arizona. >> i just graduated with my masters from lsu go tigers! >> oh, yeah. happy graduation. >> go tigers. >> happy new year, happy everything it's monday morning. if you're just starting your day, good morning. thank you for joining us. this is morning. i'm getting to know it again. i had a couple of weeks off.

you had a couple of weeks off. >> turning all my alarms off was one of my favorite things. this morning, flip, flip, flip. >> if you do wake up a little later, can you dvr us, rewind, watch the show whenever you get up let's get to your news here at 8:00, the president's latest attempt to overturn the election results. perhaps his most flagrant so far. it has critics saying he has crossed the line weekend co-anchor peter alexander has the latest good morning. >> reporter: hey, savannah, good morning. this was a stunning call that lasted an hour, president trump berating, badgering and begging georgia's republican secretary of state to overturn his state's election results you'll remember multiple recounts and audits there reaffirmed joe biden won georgia by nearly 12,000 votes and the vice president-elect kamala harris is blasting the president's call, describing it >> reporter: president trump on tape, pushing georgia election officials to overturn his defeat. >> i just want to find, uh, 11,780 votes, which is one more

than we have, because we won the state. >> reporter: nbc news obtained a recording of saturday's entire 62-minute call the president and his advisers on the line, complaining about georgia's certified vote tally. >> i think you have to say that you're going to re-examine it. >> reporter: president trump urging georgia's republican secretary of state, brad raffensperger to announce he's reversing the results. >> the people of georgia are angry. the people of the country are angry and there's nothing wrong with saying that you've, uh, recalculated. >> reporter: raffensperger responds -- >> well, mr. president, the challenge you have is that the data you have is wrong. >> reporter: the president at one point pressuring raf fensperger to stuck with his party. >> you should want to have an accurate election and you're a republican. >> we believe we do have an accurate election. >> no. no, you don't. >> reporter: mr. trump also cites a debunked conspiracy theory that georgia election

officials and a voting machine company tampered with ballots. >> they are shredding ballots, in my opinion, based on what i've heard, and they are removing machinery, and they're moving it as fast as they can. >> reporter: the secretary of state's general counsel flatly dismissing that. >> what we're seeing is not at all what you're describing. >> reporter: still, president trump threatens the officials that they could face legal consequences. >> you know what they did, and you're not reporting it. that's a criminal -- that's a criminal offense. >> reporter: all of this comes just two days before at least a dozen senate republicans, all of them trump loyalists, have said they will vote to reject joe biden's electoral college win. that rebellion now splitting the party, but it's important to note it is not going anywhere, because enough republicans, senate republicans and more of them overnight have said that they will vote to certify biden's victory. savannah >> peter, thank you very much. now to the other reason that georgia is at the center of the political world, tomorrow's two run-off elections that will determine which party controls

the senate nbc's blayne alexander is in atlanta with the latest. hey, blayne, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, hoda. early voting is officially behind us. it all comes down to tuesday and turnout. both parties are doing everything they can to make sure that turnout is high so, with control of the u.s. senate on the line, today we are seeing vice president pence, president trump and president-elect joe biden all here in town to make their closing arguments. with less than 24 hours until the critical run-off elections, georgia candidates are on the trail and down to the wire. >> let's win on tuesday, and make history. >> are you ready to show america that georgia's a red state >> reporter: republican senators david perdue and kelly loeffler trying to fight off challenges from jon ossoff and raphael

warnock. at stake, the control of the senate. >> these two elections may well be the most important elections in the senate of our lifetimes. >> reporter: the races, polls show are virtually tied, will not only determine senate control but president-elect joe biden's ability to push through policy, including another covid relief package both parties are bringing out the big money and big names. >> thank you on behalf of joe and myself for what you did in november, and i'm here to ask you to do it again. >> reporter: vice president-elect kamala harris setting the stage for a pair of election eve rallies, with both president-elect biden and president trump arriving later today. >> hello, georgia. >> reporter: republicans fear the president's repeated attacks on the georgia election may actually discourage voters from turning out. >> republicans, democrats, everyone, they need to know that we can trust this process, and we're working hard to make sure that this is a fair, trusted election. >> reporter: georgia's early voting numbers are already record shattering. 3 million ballots cast, the highest by far for a run-off election in the state.

all of it leaving democrats optimistic. >> more than 100,000 voters who did not participate in november are voting in this election, have already cast their ballots, and they are disproportionately voters of color and disproportionately young voters. >> reporter: now, of course, guy s, in the final days leading up to tomorrow's election, we are seeing the candidates fan out across the state in final campaign rallies, but that's accept senator david perdue because his campaign announced just days ago he is self quarantining after coming into close contact with someone who tested positive for covid-19 hoda >> blayne alexander for us in atlanta, thank you. we have the news covered this is our first boost of 2021. >> let's go, everybody let's go, let's go a family in arkansas had been taking care of a young girl who lived across the street since she was just a little child. that girl, kanya, now a young woman. she finished school, got married and over the holidays got a present that brought her to tears, adoption papers so she could officially become part of

that family. >> i think she said yes. she said yes yay! >> they were always like family. the family that adopted kanya says the gift was for them as well because now the family is complete sweet. >> that's a good one. >> uh-huh. >> getting out an extra order of tissues for this year. up next, a look at alex trebek's final "jeopardy!" episodes before they air this week emotional for his fans and the people who worked with him. we have a live interview with "jeopardy's" executive producer right after this (kids laughing) ♪ upbeat tempo ♪ sanctuary music it's the final days of the wish list sales event

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juvéderm it. talk to your doctor about the juvéderm collection of fillers. welcome back beloved "jeopardy!" alex trebek appeared in 8,000 episodes over 36 years. >> wow. >> quite a legacy. beginning his final five episodes will begin to air this week in a moment we'll speak live with the show's executive producer first, he opened up to nbc's anne thompson about what to expect anne, good morning. >> good morning, savannah and hoda for "jeopardy!" fans this will be a week of excitement and dread as they watch the new final episodes with alex trebek taped ten days before the cultural and television institution died. >> here he is, the host of "jeopardy!," alex trebek. >> almost two months after his

death, this week, "jeopardy!" fans will see alex trebek's final episodes, including the heartfelt message from trebeck that absolutely no one expected, including from his executive producer, mike richard. >> he comes out and -- i just got chills -- gives this absolutely amazing speech about the important times we're in as a country, community, humanity, coming together and being there for each other. >> reporter: the taping happening 11 days after intestinal surgery he battled pancreatic cancer for almost two years. >> the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but i'm going to fight this. >> reporter: the treatment sometimes weakened trebek's voice. >> there are many reasons to be thankful. >> reporter: but not his resolve. >> keep the faith. >> reporter: that courage and determination only burnishing admiration of fans and contestant. >> i learned english because of you. >> what is we love you alex? that is very kind. thank you.

>> reporter: a connection developed over three decades of hosting the quiz show, where contestants tried to guess the questions after trebek supplied the answers. >> what is a metal kettle. >> and the occasion barb. >> we were talking about hockey not the nba. >> welcome to celebrity "jeopardy!." >> which made him ripe for parody on "saturday night live." through 36 years of hairstyles and suits, trebek's professional demeanor endured so much so that when he walked out of the studio after taping these episodes, no one knew they would be his last. trebek died ten days later this week, one more time, america welcomes alex trebek into their homes now, we're told that friday's episode will be a regular show, but at the end, there will be a tribute to alex trebek and then "jeopardy!" looks forward with a series of guest hosts, starting with former champ ken jennings

savannah and hoda? >> anne, thank you mike richards, the executive producer of "jeopardy!" is with us now hi, mike, good morning. >> morning. >> good morning. >> this must be a bittersweet week for everybody here, alex is gone but we're going to see his final work, his final days what was he like in those final days >> he was an absolute warrior. and what he was able to do by giving himself back to the set, to tape those final episodes -- again, you guys referenced it in the piece. we didn't know it was going to be his final episodes and neither did he, but it was herculean. he was in enormous pain. he was ten days away from passing away and you will not sense that in any of these episodes. he is strong he sounds great. he's funny and he's amazing. >> what do you think it meant to him to do those? why do you think he wanted to show up in those final days when

he could have easily said, you know what? i think i had enough. >> i think a normal person would have said i'm not going to show up a year and a half before those final episodes i mean, he was getting chemotherapy once a week i think there was a level of professionalism. i think he really understood the importance of the show and what it meant to people, and to make what i have always said, he made being smart cool so i think it was all of those things for him and i think it comes back to, you know, he wrote an autobiography that described his childhood and that kind of hardworking, blue collar, i'm going to go in and go to work. and that's what he did. >> well, you were worried about him in that last week. you actually said to him, look, i don't think you should come in this week. you're not well. but he, again, said i'm going to be here. and he also said something on the show on one of his final shows that surprised you

it was off script. what did he talk about >> well, yeah. the week before we taped those episodes, he was in the hospital and this man was unbelievable. he calls me and says, mike, i'm going to be fine i'll be in to tape i was able to eat jell-o today and i went, alex, that's great, but that doesn't mean you're going to be ready to host five episodes of a game show, which is an enormous amount of effort, and he said do not cancel. i will be there. and what he did on tonight's show is just a great testament to him he comes out he usually said something about what was happening in the news or about what game play had been happening. and in this very special, unbelievable final week, he comes out and gives a talk about the importance of togetherness and sticking together and that the world is struggling, but we have to get through it together.

and we had chills. there are specific moments in "jeopardy!" when you clap and then there are moments when you're quiet usually in his monologue, he would come out, give a statement and they would go to the categories there's not many people in the studio because of covid. and we all burst into applause and you don't see it on camera, but as he's going to the categories, he sees us start to applaud and he kind of looks at us like, what are you guys doing? we were so moved that we had to applaud. >> defer -- just before we go, did he ever mention who he thought his successor should be? >> he mentioned a couple of names but he wanted to stay out of that. and he knew we would do a good job looking for people and that we would find someone -- no one is going to replace him, and he knew that. as humble as he was, he knew there was no chance of that. it's someone smart, incredible, that loves the show.

that's what he wanted. >> absolutely. that joy is something so unique to him mike, thank you so much for spending this time with us we appreciate it. >> thank you, guys. >> all right we are going to shift gears now. let's get another check of the weather from dylan hey, dylan. >> good morning again. we're going to see pretty quiet weather. the year started off with pretty active storm systems across the country. now things are quieting down we are clearing out in the northeast. in the west, we will see activity today, heavy rain especially along coastal washington state, northwestern oregon, northwestern california, also seeing some of that rain moving in off the water. and that does translate to mountain snow, too, especially in the higher elevations we could end up with about two feet of snow high temperatures today will be seasonable, if not a little bit above average, especially through the northern plains with highs today in the 40s we've got our 70s and 80s all the way down through texas and southern florida elsewhere, we are looking at those 30s and 40s. we are looking for a pretty sunny and pleasant day through

the southeast, back through the plains little foggy to start off the day in the western great lakes and we will see lake-effect snow >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we take a look at the radar. we're tracking rain across the bay area. we're going to see the showers at times that could be heavy as you get ready to head out on this first monday of 2021. we're also going to see the waves of rain mostly through the late morning, early afternoon hours before the rain gradually tapers off this evening. tomorrow looking nice and dry. highs in the upper 50s. may have another round of late rain on sunday and then again on friday. forecast. >> all right, dylan. it's that time of the day we love it's called pop start time come on, carson. >> lots to start with here ratatouille the tiktok musical, yes, there is now a musical based on a rat with a talent for cooking. tiktok user emily jacobson

posted her own idea. it went viral and then other tiktokers started to post their ideas and then other posters started posting their ideas and along with broadway professio l professionals got involved and it became ratatouille the tiktok musical. unbreakable, they all got involved now, guys, it sold over $1 million in tickets with part of the proceeds going to the actors fund here is a clip of it, one of lambert's big numbers. ♪ ♪ way to go ♪ way to go >> wow >> the dude can sing. >> that is incredible. >> that is crazy. >> tiktok musical. you have until 5:00 tonight to get in on that. >> we're on it. gwen stefani "let me

introduce myself" got the official video over the weekend. walk down memory lane, features multiple gwens, rocking her iconic looks from over her career ♪ ♪ let me reintroduce myself ♪ in case you forgot no i'm not records on your shelf ♪ >> for a lot of people that walk down memory lane might not look as good. including myself, of course. >> oh, my gosh she has not changed. >> 30 years. >> unbelievable. >> she's ageless. >> ageless >> and she had the flash of the engagement ring in there. gwen will be here, by the way, next thursday. always look forward to chatting with her harry styles, for song

"treat people with kindness," black and white video features harry and phoebe bridge at a nightclub, highlight coming at the end of the video when they show off their moves in a synchronized dance ♪ >> there you go. >> real cool. >> adorable. >> how could you go wrong? finally "the office," the beloved work space sitcom starring steve carrell is now streaming on peacock it's official. from our parent company nbc universal and to celebrate that launch, today.com wants you to vote on your best moment. >> another bracket >> there's 16 moments to choose from some of our favorites are the infamous prison scene, dropping chili all over the floor and when michael accidentally

grilled his foot. >> say again really loudly what happened. >> okay. i burned my foot very badly on my foreman grill and i now need someone to come and bring me into work. >> you burned your foot on a foreman grill? >> i enjoy having breakfast in bed. i like waking up to the smell of bacon. sue me. >> you can stream all the episodes, extras and never-before-scene clips of "the office," exclusively on peacock. go to today.com to vote in our bracket. >> that really made me want to watch them all over again. so good. still ahead, guys, who wants to embrace the positive, learn something new in 2021? lifestyle expert is ready to help with her favorite resolution helpers. >> we are looking forward to catching up with valerie bertinelli. >> good morning, valerie. >> check of your local news, weather and these messages

good morning. 8:26. i'm scott mcgrew. let's take you outside live. rain and strong winds moving into the bay area. meteorologist kari hall is tracking it. raindrops keep falling on my lens. >> yeah, that's what we're having to deal with for a lot of people heading out to work for the first time this year. so we'll have to see those showers moving through. we're tracking it all on stormranger. you can do the same on the nbc bay area app. we'll see waves of this coming along with those high winds that at times may reach over 40 miles per hour. especially along the coastline and in san francisco. as we go into the rest of the day, we'll see the rain gradually tapering off with

those high temperatures only reaching into the upper 50s. mike, how is it looking for the commute? >> it's looking like what you warned us about. the wet commute. we look at the dublin camera and what was a backup, it's been replaced with wet roadways and smoother moving traffic. you see the water on the lens as well. the map shows you the highlighted green all around the tri-valley area. contra costa county. the arrow shows you where it's still a little slow. keeping the backup from clearing smoothly. scott, back to you. >> i think i heard some squeals of joy. somebody gets to wear their new raincoat today. more local news coming up in half an hour. ♪

we have the power to harness california's abundant solar and wind energy, but it's not available all day long. use less energy from 4 to 9 pm for a cleaner california.

8:30 it's a monday morning, january 4th, 2020 -- wait, what? 2021, you're right 2021 and something is missing a lot of kids are going back to school people are going back to work. and over the long weekend, i guess they decided it was time to take our rockefeller christmas tree down. >> do you know what's funny? i didn't even notice you guys were like, hey, what happened to that giant tree?

>> normally they leave it up for a couple of weeks. they probably didn't want the congregation so they took it down. >> bye-bye until next year. >> maybe rocky the owl said give me my tree back. jenn falik will be here with resolution helpers to keep your goals right on track. valerie bertinelli, one of our faves, is with us this morning. we'll catch up with her. plus she will take us into the kitchen for a healthy, she says, easy, she says, one-pan chicken dinner. >> we love her new hairdo. digging it. >> dylan >> coming up on the third hour, consumer confidential. all about holiday returns. i'm sure we have a bunch vicki nguyen will show us what stores are doing to make the process easier and safer than ever. coming up tomorrow on "today," the one and only martha stewart.

she will share ideas from her new book, filled with clever tips, genius ideas for an easier and more enjoyable life i think that's the title it's cool. >> first, let's go back to dylan. you're not off duty yet. we need a check of the weather. >> i know. we've got the first full week of 2021 so let's take a look at what you can expect this week we're starting off nice and quiet, except out west where we have rain and mountain snow. mild through the middle of the country. dry down south as we get into wednesday, the next storm system develops, especially bringing some heavier rain down through texas and into arkansas and louisiana as well midwest areas could end up with some snow. it still stays unsettled with rain and mountain snow in the west friday we could see snow into virginia, delaware, north carolina farther south into south carolina, we could mostly see some rain out of that next storm system as temperatures begin to cool down through the middle of the country and snow is likely through the northern plains, too. that's a look at the weather across the country now here's a peek out your window and that's your latest forecast back to you all in the studio. >> okay, dylan, thank you. still ahead, jenn falik ready to make your 2021 goals a reality, whether you want to try something new, improve your health or be more positive first this is "today" on nbc >> announcer: better basics is crea

>> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. before you head out the door this morning, make sure you grab a good, sturdy umbrella. not only are we getting rain but high winds, too, and at times the gusts reach over 40 miles an hour. and the rain will be off and on, especially through early in the afternoon. but after that, it clears out later this evening. temperatures reach into the upper 50s. we'll see more spotty, light showers in the forecast on wednesday. and then on friday, we can see another round of rain before the weekend. forecast back to you all in the studio. >> okay, dylan, thank you. still ahead, jenn falik ready to ke your 2021 goals a reality, whether you want to try something new, improve your health or be more positive our new house is amazing. great street, huge yard. there is a bit of an issue with our neighbors fencing. neighbor 1: allez!

(sound from wind chimes) neighbor 2: (laughing) at least geico makes bundling our home and car insurance easy. which helps us save even more. neighbor 2: hey, sarah, hey, peter! neighbor 1: touché. neighbor 2: ahhh! neighbor 1: pret! neighbor 2: en garde! for bundling made easy, go to geico.com we have the power to harness california's abundant solar and wind energy, but it's not available all day long. use less energy from 4 to 9 pm for a cleaner california. ♪ ♪ 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. >> announcer: better basics is created by "today" and promoted

by amazon. we are back at 8:35 with better basics to help you not only start but actually stick to those new year's resolution. >> that's the tricky part. lifestyle expert jenn falik joins us with a few gadgets to help you with your goals a few of them may surprise us. happy new year. >> happy new year. >> good morning, happy new year. >> most people have the better fitness, better health, stop eating, stop drinking resolution right here what have you got for that >> we did a little research. saw over 50% of people had something with exercising, eating healthy, managing weight. first up, drinking more water. a lot of people make this resolution, myself included. for some reason it's always easier said than done. this is your better basic water bottle i feel like this is more than a water bottle. this is a single-person cooler. it times it out for you, 64

ounces, and it is more like your own cheerleader. it is a little big to lug around for you. everywhere but you can i see people doing it. also just to keep it on your desk and make sure you finish it it gives you time markers. fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, we all want to add that to our diet sometimes you buy them, they go bad this blue apple gets consistent five-star reviews. >> what is this? >> it's amazing. it's called a blue apple and it absorbs the gases in your fridge so the produce stays fresher longer this way when you open the fresh everything is still fresh. you save a ton of money as well. finally update your workout. these are balance from they're adjustable wrist weights, ankle weights wear them while you're doing stuff around the house or for a workout, from one pound up to five i love that they're soft. they're popular in general right now. people love free weights that are adjustable go about your day, for a walk.

go >> the opposite of working out what if you just want to relax, chill out, take care of yourself, what have you in that lane >> self care is a big one this year maybe even more than ever. starting off with skin care. people want to take better care of their skin. i love this serum from bliss one of these is sold every 15 seconds and it's $25 it's a great price point what's great is it's a multitasker. you get vitamin c in there it's going to help with evening out your skin tone boosts collagen production it will make your skin feel tighter, more elasticity, protects from future damage, so it is super affordable and work this into your routine in the morning and the evening. and another thing is to cleaning your makeup brushes. you have to get all the germs and icky stuff out of your brushes. it's an ordeal this machine is genius, you

guys i've been cleaning every brush in my house. put your brushes in. within 15 seconds it not only cleans them, but it dries them so you can use them right afterwards. >> wow >> so smart. 20 bucks. >> do you have to clean the machine? >> the machine, all you do is rinse it out. >> jenn, i have a question. >> yeah? >> what if you're like me, you're resolved to eat and drink less and work out more before the pandemic and it's ten months later and i'm so in the hole i can barely breathe a resolution ain't going to cut it i need a new life skill, new habits. >> new habits are really -- one new habit that is great to get your mind-set into like wellness, give yourself a bath baths are trending this bath caddy, we love it's consistent with today.com readers as well. what's amazing about it, if you're going to have a glass of wine, big jug of water, candle and work on your goal planning a lot of people are doing untraditional resolutions and want to be better about goal

setting. i love this planner. it has all these different reminders in there triggers, labels that you can use to make better use of your time just set goals and track your progress as opposed to a traditional journal, this is a great thing for people who want to be accountable for their goals. and then i am obsessed with this, last but not least, one line a day i don't know if you've ever resolved to keep a journal i have for years and never do it i personally used this for eight years, and it's great because it's one line a day. goes over the course of five years. it's easy to jot things down now i'll look at them and look back to what i did that same day when my girls were really little three, five years ago. it's an easy day to journal your day, positive mind-set and feel like you're tracking your memory. >> i would write, "i'm hungry," every day. >> just get a stamp. i hear you. >> good stuff, though, jenn. >> fun ideas thank you. for more on the better basics we just talked about, check out today.com/shop.

>> happy new year, too, jenn thanks. >> happy new year to you, too. >> thank you very much amazon has an affiliate relationship with "today." whenever you buy a product through our site, amazon pays a small commission on that sale. more ahead including our friend valerie bertinelli. she has a one-pan dish. >> nice hair. >> sneaky healthy. >> her lid is a plus we'ltalk about that.l

♪ ♪ oh, this is how it starts ♪ lightning strikes the heart ♪ the day has just begun ♪ brighter than the sun ♪ oh, we could be the stars ♪ falling from the sky ♪ shining how we want ♪ brighter than the sun ♪ i swear you hit me like a vision ♪ ♪ but who am i to tell fate where it's supposed to go? ♪ ♪ oh, this is how it starts ♪ lightning strikes the heart ♪ the day has just begun ♪ brighter than the sun ♪ oh, we could be the stars ♪ falling from the sky ♪ shining how we want ♪ brighter than the sun

oroweat bread. gathering, baking and delivering the goodness of nature... from one generation to the next and from seed to slice. ♪ we are back, kicking off our month-long start today series filled with healthy recipes and tips to get 2021 off on the right track. >> valerie bertinelli is here to share one of her favorite healthy dishes and it requires only one pan clean up is a breeze so we're signing up. valerie, first of all, it's so great to see you you've been on our heart we've been thinking about you. we've been thinking about your

son, wolfie and just wonder how you're doing in this moment. >> it's so good to see you guys, too. i don't know why i'm tearing up. it's, you know, when you hear voices and see people that you feel a connection with and you guys always make me tear up. it's been rough. very bittersweet we're doing okay we spent the holidays together i'll see him later today we've been spending a lot of time together. ahh. yeah it's hard. i've gone to text him a few dozen times. it was like, oh, no, i can't text him right now carson, i just want to say a big thank you to you for that lovely piece you did on wolfie. it really touched my heart you were so good to him and as a mom -- >> you're sweet. >> -- i want to thank you. >> you're only as good ayour subject. as i told him in the piece it's a testament to his parents, both of you what an impressive young man.

>> yeah. i kind of like him. >> by the way, we kind of like your hair, valerie is this a new look >> i'm going crazy i lost my mind, hoda. >> it looks a little pink which i love. >> i don't know what i'm doing it's pink, it's purple it's fading. i can't go to the salon and get my roots done and i'm totally gray and i'm like, okay, forget it i'll just have fun. >> it looks good looks punk rock. >> looks great. >> i love it >> i miss my dark hair i'll eventually go back to my dark hair. i just have to get the roots done. >> you're inspiring me send me that shampoo i might want to try this. >> all right, ladies, let's get to the segment. >> all right let's go to food so this is a really kind of easy, healthy chicken dish i want to show you the final product first because we're going to go through it quickly it's these great chicken breasts. i've cut them in half. it has tomatoes in there, nice

and blistered, bunch of lycopene in there and olive oil, all those good fats for you. so i brought this out. i've got this just started what i do is i take these chicken breasts, because they're so big these days. i cut them in half about make them more, you know, like a one-person size. so we've got this. and we want to get all of the tomatoes look i said, it has all that lycopene, all the healthy antioxidants we've got the olives i already sliced up the onion and gotten that on there and this has been in the oven for about 15 minutes get the olive oil on there get all of your tomatoes and olives back on there and they're going to go into the oven for another 15, 20 minutes and the oven is about 450 degrees. when it comes out you've got this great meal. you can add more chicken breasts if you want to make it for more people or like i like to do, i make a bunch of it at the beginning of the week and then i'll have chicken for the rest of the week. i can make chicken salad with it i can make -- i can slice the

chicken, put it on top of salad. i can mix it with some mayo and some grapes and apples and you can have that. this has been sprinkled with paprika. it's a really great flavor and really quick and, like it's just in one pan this is all you have to clean up that's it. >> you get these chicken breasts these days, let's go back to that for a second. they are enormous. >> like turkey breast. >> do you butterfly it, do you do that raw or cook it first and then cut it? >> i did this raw and then you put it into the oven and then cook it. it's easier to cut it from raw you could do it afterwards, too, but i do suggest that you totally leave the bone in because chicken breasts can dry out and the bone is just going to add some more flavor. and keep the skin on that will give it more flavor. >> oh, yes. >> if you don't want the fat, take it off before you eat it. >> leave it on to cook but take it off and don't eat it, save yourself a few calories. >> right. >> why would you do that >> exactly. >> are you using any spices on that

>> this is paprika, salt and pepper. >> that's it >> super easy. all things you already have in your kitchen already. >> perfect. >> that's easy, too. all that stuff in one thing, throw it in the oven. >> yeah. even you could do it, carson. >> carson is a real cook it's hoda and i who need intervention. >> oh, i'm sorry. >> it's true valerie, i remember last year you talked to us about your motto for the year and you said your motto was choose happy. >> correct. >> have you thought about what your motto will be this year for 2021 >> yeah that choose happy went right into a crisis for the whole country it's just -- besides be safe, just we have to give ourselves some grace here and give ourselves patience, and give other people patience, but grace and patience and i'm still doing my best to choose happy god keeps putting crap in front of me but not more than i can't handle, i guess. >> we love you, valerie.

>> love you back. >> good to see you. >> bye, val. >> love you, valerie. >> we'll see valerie again she'll be in the third hour to make a healthy made-ahead monday dish you can find all of valerie's recipes at today.com/food. bye, valerie. >> bye-bye. >> the best. >> i appreciate it i think it was something we could do love that. love that.

(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. our first special birthday wishes in the new year hi, dylan. >> hi, dylan. >> hey, guys, we always love to celebrate first birthdays around here with a little help from smucker's, let's spin around those smucker's jars and start off with a very happy 1st birthday to jackson fogerty from buffalo, new york.

he's already a "today" super fan if you can believe it. little jackson watches al do the weather with his mommy every single morning he has al's glasses there, too, it looks like. aries duncan is from colonial heights, virginia, she spends her time chasing puppies around the house. that will burn some energy mariana montes from whitman, massachusetts, likes to snuggle up with siblings and puppy carter is very excited to spend his birthday playing with his older sister, kennedy. let's head to omaha, nebraska. aria mckeone absolutely loves to dance. and last but certainly not least, happy birthday to giavanna mccarry from charlotte, north carolina just like us, a big fan from the one and only dolly parton. she loves to read her books through the imagination library. to give a little happy first birthday to oliver.

>> yes. >> on saturday, he turned 1. he had his first dose of sugar and he shoved it in his face. >> wow >> shoved it in his ears it was everywhere. >> you beat me to it, dylan. i was like, ollie's birthday is around this time you must be so proud. >> good 2021 for sure. vicki nguyen walks us through some of the changes that could make your holiday returns hopefully easier. >> and later on "hoda and jenna" we are playing "name that tune" a new show coming out with jane krakawski and randy jackson. a new show coming out. a reboot but first a look at your local news.

good morning. 8:56. i'm scott mcgrew. rain moving into the bay area. let's get the latest from meteorologist kari hall. hi, kari. >> good morning. and we've been tracking the rain on stormranger. we've been watching some showers moving through in the north bay. now down the peninsula and into parts of the east bay.

so expect the rain, mostly during the morning to the early afternoon and then clearing out tonight. we're all dry tomorrow. could see another chance of showers on wednesday. and then again on friday. so we will be tracking this all throughout the day. mike, what does it look like for the commute? >> all right, kari. let's show the folks with our camera at the bay bridge toll plaza which tells most of the story. wet roadways and light traffic volume. that may mean an issue if you have to slow speeds down even though you can go fast. green sensors all around the bay. just a little slowing across the span. an earlier crash slows you down heading toward walnut creek on 24 but really that's about it. wet roadways throughout. >> more local weather coming to you in an hour. we'll see you then. did you know that 70% of the soils on your clothes are invisible? under u.v. light,

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great day on the lake! it is. lunch is cookin'! and i saved a bunch of money on my boat insurance with geico. fellas, can it get any better than this? whoa! my old hairstyle grew back.

so did mine. [80's music] what? i was an 80's kid. it only gets better when you switch and save with geico. >> announcer: live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza, this is the third hour of "today." >> good morning, and welcome to the third hour of "today" on this monday, january 4th i'm sheinelle. i'm all by myself here in studio 1a, but you see my buddy, dylan, working from home. happy new year. >> happy new year. nice to see you, even like this. >> we're still together. craig and al are off this morning, but it is back to work for a lot of us, back to school for a lot of you this morning. with holidays in the rear view mirror, we have a great consumer confidential for you this morning. vicki nguyen is here to talk about holiday returns. i can't believe we're talking about returns already.