>> the "today" show is coming up next. we'll be back with a local news update in about half an hour and every half hour after that. have a great day and safe new year's eve weekend. >> see you next year. good friday morning. heading into a holiday weekend, new year's eve t good friday morning. heading into a holiday weekend, new year's eve tomorrow. >> capping off a week full of travel and weather challenges. so what is next? it's december 30th, the final friday of 2022, and this is "today." ready for takeoff. southwest says it will be back up and running this morning, scheduling thousands of flights just in time for new year's. but is it too little, too late for those passengers whose holidays were already ruined federal officials promising to hold the airline accountable. >> we are going to be putting southwest airlines under a microscope in terms of their delivering these kinds of reimbursements and refunds to passengers. ready to rock.

t-minus one day until the ball drops and the party is on in times square for the first time since the pandemic, no covid restrictions. excitement building. >> i'm hopeful for 2023. i love new beginnings. >> will the weather cooperate? that storm that wreaked havoc out west set to make it a wet one for millions of americans. dylan has the all-important holidaday forecastst. high alert officials bracing for a surge in covid and flu cases after all those holiday parties and travel some places even asking people to social distance once again and to mask up while braving the big crowds and packed airports we will have everything you need to know to make it a happy and healthy new year. keeping vigil. all eyes on the vatican this morning where 95-year-old pope emeritus benedict is said to be

in stable condition. pope francis asking for prayers. catholics sending love and strength we'll take you there live. those stories, plus honoring an icon. beloved soccer legend pele losing his battle with cancer yesterday at 82. fans remembering him this morning as one of the greatest athletes and ambassadors of all time we'll take a look back a the mark he left in sports and beyond. how is this for a happy new year the mega millions jackpot jumping up again. 640 million plus, and with the next drawing hours away another shot at unimaginable riches. not a bad way to cap off the year today friday, december 30th, 2022 ♪ >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb, from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza good morning and welcome to "today" and thank you for kicking off your new year weekend with us this morning we are going to get the party

started a little bit early savannah and hoda are off today. buy the champagne, set the table and the favors and get a lotto ticket, as well. >> a mega millions ticket for sure $640 million up for grabs. check out this live location, a 7-eleven in fort lauderdale. people are lining up that will be a pretty nice start to the new year. >> that guy who popped his head in the shot, maybe he is the winner. we are keeping an eye on all aspects of the upcoming holiday this morning, including that travel mess. this is a look at atlanta's hartsfield-jackson international airport after delays for days, cancellations as well from southwest airlines they are having a ripple effect. the ceo says that things should be back on track today. meantime, the final preparations are underway at new york city's times square just a few blocks from here in studio 1a where for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic there will be no covid restrictions.

>> but there will be rain. that massive storm is going to make its way east. the temperatures expected to be mild but the forecast includes showers and, yes, showers at midnight we have it covered for you this morning, including dylan with that forecast. again, we want to begin in atlanta with nbc's blayne alexander. what's it looking like as they head into this last day? >> reporter: good morning to you. southwest airlines spent the entire day yesterday moving employees and crew and aircraft around the country all in preparation for today for more than 2,300 cancellations yesterday to just 39 so far this morning. they are back at full capacity now, the next order of business is reimbursing passengers and that's something that the transportation secretary tells me he is watching like a hawk and he is ready to enforce massive fines if the airline doesn't do right by its customers. after a devastating week for southwest, this morning the airline says it's finally ready

to take flight back to normal operations, executives promise planning to fly some 4,000 flights today all of it on the heels of an unprecedented week that left more than 15,000 flights grounded and thousands of passengers stranded. >> every flight was overbooked. >> reporter: after the meltdown comes the makeup with southwest promising to return lost luggage to passengers, shipping bags for free, even flying them on their own planes, and setting up a special website for passengers to submit receipts to get reimbursed for hotels, food and rental cars while stranded it's something transportation secretary pete buttigieg promised to enforce. >> we are going to be putting southwest airlines under a microscope in terms of their delivering these kinds of reimbursements and refunds to passengers. >> reporter: in a scathing new letter to the airline ceo buttigieg lays out priorities for the airline to its customers from paying $3,800 to each passenger with provable damages

from lost luggage to repaying the cost of flights booked on other airlines buttigieg says his department will use the fullest extent of its investigative and enforcement powers to hold southwest accountable. >> the airline said to me they were going to go above and beyond what's required of them i am looking to make sure they actually do that, and if they don't we are in a position to levy tens of thousands of dollars per violation, per passenger in fines. >> reporter: does your department share any blame in this should you have seen this coming >> we have taken every step to increase the standard of customer service right now now, i can't go in and fix an i.t. system for an individual airline that is failing to do its job, but as a watchdog our department is going to do everything it takes to hold them accountable. >> reporter: guys, you heard him talk about the systems there that was one of the biggest issues with the entire debacle a slowdown in the system that

handles employees schedules. the airline set up a volunteer army, more than 1,000 employees ready to step in and schedule employees manually in necessary. peter? >> a lot of passengers waiting for this day to come thank you so much. new year's eve is just a day away and preparations are well underway for the big event to ring in 2023 in new york's times square nbc's stephanie gosk is there for us you can feel the excitement building >> reporter: yeah, it's really great. you know, the barricades are up. a lot of barricades have to be set up this is going to be the first time times square celebration at new year's eve since the pandemic began with no covid restrictions in 2020 the public wasn't invited here it was first responders. last year there was that omicron surge and they had to scale things back significantly. this year it's all holds barred. they are going for it. it's going to be a really fun night. that waterford crystal ball is

ready to go. there are special crystals on it, 120 of them designed by irish craftsmen that reflect the theme for this year, the gift of love here as that ball drops there will be hundreds of thousands of people and about a billion people tuning in it's going to be quite a party 3,000 pounds of confetti as well as a bunch of live acts, including duran duran, chelsea cutler and jack. i have to say we have done lot of coverage in times square throughout covid it's gotten grim at times. it will be wonderful to see things back up and running normally here in times square. >> steph, you are so right about that i think those crowds are going to be such a welcomed sight. but given how many people they are expecting how are authorities preparing for these massive crowds >> reporter: security is always an issue for this event. the nypd says there is no credible threat. people come here will see a lot of it, see the bomb-sniffing dogs and metal detectors and

when they get inside the so-called pens, barricades set up to create, you are not allowed to bring coolers, large bags or umbrellas and as you mentioned the weather is going to be warm but it is also going to be rainy so that could get a little uncomfortable. >> you are in the heart of all of it. thank you so much, appreciate it. >> i am excited about duran duran. i have one of their velcro wallets from seventh grade. new yorkers wondering if rain is in store for their saturday night out west the situation is dangerous in places. holiday traffic brought to a standstill by some heavy and wet snow in denver yesterday that's thanks to a massive storm that is now on the move. dylan is here with more on all of it. dylan, what are we watching for? >> well, we are going to see rain in times square if you can't bring the umbrellas you need the poncho. leading up to midnight we will see the heavier rain here it is right now down

through southeastern arkansas and louisiana. some heavier rain is falling and that will travel on the gulf coast today and make its way to the northeast tomorrow we are already awaiting the next storm system onshore in the pacific northwest and through northern california, too so that's the setup for today. rain, wind, snow out west, snow, obviously, in the higher elevations, strong storms along the gulf coast, record warmth possible if you can believe it across parts of the northeast and into the mid-atlantic. saturday as we finish off 2022 beautiful through the middle of the country, stormy in the southeast and stormy out west with a storm system bringing rain, perhaps several inches of rain which could lead to flooding drenching downpours for the southwest at midnight tomorrow night. clear through the middle of the country. damp in the northeast into the new york city area that storm system will exit into new year's day but keeping a close eye on things in the southwest where that storm will bring heavy rain to the southwest on sunday. peter? >> thank you we will get the national forecast in a few minutes.

meantime, a federal spending bill passed before the end of the year officially avoiding a government shutdown president biden signed the $1.7 trillion spending package yesterday unlocking funds for a number of programs, including medical research, defense disaster recovery, violence against women and crucial assistance to ukraine, but the bill left out several measures like thehe expansion of the chi tax credit and covid-19 response funding. the spending bill will keep the government operating through september of next year. meantime, big crowds on new year's eve as well as holiday travelel all raisising new cono this morning about the potential for covid and flu cases surging in the days and weeks ahead. this as so many return from the holiday visits with family and as kids get back to school gadi schwartz has the latest good morning. >> good morning. yeah, this is the last thing you probably want to hear, but the numbers are showing the dreaded tripledemic continues as covid, flu and rsv cases are hitting

communities hard medical experts are bracing for a rise in cases in the weeks after new year's but there are some things people can do over the next winter holiday to stay safe take a listen. >> reporter: as countless revelers prepare to ring it in the year among large crowds or new year's eve parties medical experts urge communities and families to be on guard. >> we need to continue to stay vigilant this is the third consecutiv winter here in the united states we are dealing with covid-19 in addition to influenza, rsv and other respiratory viruses. >> reporter: across the country the tripledemic is showing no signs of easing up experts say all three of these airborne viruses are highly contagious among children and adults. >> gathering, staying at home and avoiding others when ill and continuing to promote vaccination as the primary means for disease prevention. >> reporter: the city health department in boston hosting a free vaccine clinic. >> i had a new baby this week. for the health of the family thought it would be great to get

the next vaccines. >> reporter: boston schools considering a temporary mask mandate when students return from winter break. >> our number one goal is to make sure that everyone is safe and -- but mostly that the staffing levels can be where they need to be in order for schools to remain open. >> reporter: across the country in l.a. the pasadena rose parade canceled in 2021 and hosted with a mask mandate in 2022 returns on monday without any pandemic restrictions health officials are strongly recommending attendees mask up. >> i urge people, especially those who are most vulnerable, even if you are outside in these crowded spaces like at the rose bowl parade, go ahead and put that mask on. >> reporter: beginning next week the u.s. will once again require negative covid test results from anyone from china flying to the united states and fears could emerge. variants thate >> we don't know what variants could be spreading in china, so without knowing that it's hard to know whether somebody coming

from china could be introducing yet a brand-new variant. >> a little more on what's happening in china federal health officials say china's lack of adequate and transparent covid data led them to start requiring those negative covid test results for travelers. they say the lack of reported data makes it harder for u.s. health officials to identify new variants while some researchers there are estimating that china is seeing as many as 9,000 covid deaths a day peter? >> so many families with fingers crossed to get through this time healthy. thank you very much. and now to the very latest from the vatican this morning. pope francis is asking for continued prayers for former pope emeritus benedict xvi the vatican says the 95-year-old is alert and stable but his condition remains serious. nbc's molly hunter is there with the latest molly, good morning to you >> reporter: kristen, good morning. all of the information that we are getting is from pope francis who, of course, on wednesday said that the pope emeritus was

sick he invited the world's faithful to pray for the former pope. there is a mass in rome in honor of the former pope the rest of the information is coming from the holy see press office and we don't have anything new this morning aside from the fact his situation is very serious but he is stable at the moment. >> all eyes of the world are on this right now and news of his health is really reignited the conversation about a pope abdicating, he was the first one in about 600 years, leading to lots of unanswered questions about procedures what can you tell us about that conversation >> reporter: yeah, that's exactly right. so retiring in 2013 was a massive shockwave and he set a whole new precedent. he showed that a pope could step away from a job for life and when former pope benedict was still pope he decided to live in the walls of vatican city and decided his title. when he passes in death he will be setting a new precedent

there are plans in place the vatican has not shared those plans about the funeral or the burial with us benedict was likely involved in actually planning. now, what's interesting is there are some in the catholic church who say a retirement of a pontiff is something that will never happen again others in the catholic church say actually maybe this is a moment where the catholic church can start to create a new set of rules, can normalize the retirement of a pontiff by besides what that title would be, where that person might actually live and whether this may open doors for others, whether it's pope francis or future popes, to consider this path in the future, kristen. >> fascinating debate playing out as the world sends its well wishes thank you. and as we get ready to ring in the new year, what better way to kick off 2023 than with a mega millions jackpot? nbc's senior international correspondent kerry sanders with more on tonight's $640 million drawing. kerry, a lot of black-eyed peas are being downed right now i would settle for the jackpot

instead. >> reporter: it's an eye-popping amount when you think about it 640 million. look, in the 20-year history of the mega millions, this $2 bet now for five numbers plus the mega ball only reached this five other times over 600 million so we are talking about an insane amount of money here. if you take the cash option, that's $328.3 million, don't we all wish going into the new year that would be our question, whether we want to take the full amount in one lump sum or not? interestingly, there has been a new year's eve/new year's day winner in 2019 it's always possible while mathematicians tell you this is useless information, i will pass it along anyway. the number 22 has been drawn 32 times. 11, 28 times the number 9 drawn 26 times.

there are some numbers that seem to pop up more than others guys, if you don't see me here next year, it's possible that i won or maybe i could say, guys, i already won the jackpot in life. >> that's for sure kerry, i was going to compliment your hair is looking great today. the shirt is good looking. i am a big fan of your reporting. if it goes well, just know i said those things, okay? appreciate it, buddy good luck to you talk to you soon >> we won the jackpot having kerry sanders. are you a lump sum guy or are you over time >> we will have that conversation if i win. i try not to get ahead of things. >> fingers crossed >> dylan, what about you >> lump sum. 100% just give it to me. we have severe storms possible across the gulf coast today. something to keep an eye out for as the heavier rain moves through louisiana into mississippi. in the northeast lots of sunshine, warm temperatures perhaps hitting record highs in some spots sunny and chilly back through

the upper midwest. at least it's dry, temperatures in the 30s and 40s and a flood risk in central and northern california today that's a look at the weather across the country we'll get to your local forecast in t the next 3030 seconds . good morning. we are seeing light to moderate rain right now, but this is ahead of a system that's expected to make its move late into tonight. a live look at san francisco. you can see that rain coming down, satellite radar. the rain will intensify into the early morning hours. here is a closer look at what to expect heading into the next seven days.

rain at times today, a stormy start saturday along with windy conditions. flood watches in that's your latest forecast. >> that's your latest forecast. >> thank you very much coming up right here, the world is remembering pele, one of the greatest of all time in the sport of soccer. we will take a look at the legacy and his remarkable career. >> a real icon. plus, traveling for the holidays has been tough this year between the christmas weekend storm and airline delays vicky nguyen has tricks to keep in your back pocket to save stress next time you will thank yourself later. first,his is "today" on nbc. t

still ahead, hoda goes one-on-one with superstar miley cyrus ahead of her new year's eve special here on nbc. >> and wait until you hear what her co-host dolly parton had to say about their outfits. it's really something. but first t your localal news.

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a very good friday morning to you. it is 7:26. i'm laura garcia. here is a look at today's top stories. we're awaiting another round of wet weather. tracking the potential spots ahead of this holiday weekend. >> reporter: i'm bob redell, the rain overnight already causing some problems. this is video we received a few hours ago into our newsroom this is from marin county highway 101 where there was a rock slide around 1:00 a.m. this morning in the southbound direction south of spencer avenue. we don't believe anyone was hurt, but several cars were damaged. four had to be towed away, three more needed tire changes. caltrans used a front loader to remove debris and it has cleared

in time for this morning's commute. let's check that forecast with vianey. and this is a live look from the golden gate bridge. it's very cloudy. we have the rain coming down now. if i zoom this in, notice a lot of the packets are scattered in pockets. it will stay that way through the majority of your afternoon until 3:00, 4:00, it starts to kick up again, ramping up into the early morning hours on saturday. north bay flood watch begins tonight at 4:00 p.m. and for the rest of the bay area kicks in at 10:00 p.m. heavy mountain rain, 3 to 5 inches potentially and locally higher, the potential for run-off, the rapid rise of those creeks and those streams. now this is all going to lead us into an overall dry saturday night. believe it or not that storm quickly makes its exit leading us into a nice sunday new year's day. it will be for the most part dry, a break until monday morning before we see another series of storms expected to move in the first week of

january. another thing we'll be talking about is the wind. gusty winds are expected overnight into tomorrow. thank you very much, and thank you for joining us as well. i'll be back with another local i'll be back with another local news update in half hour.an i haveve somethingng for you. ♪

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december 30th, 2022. new year's eve and jacob soboroff is back with us to get the party started. check it out all systems are a go for the annual confetti drop every year before new year's eve in times square crews do a highly scientific, highly colorful test. to make sure things go off without a hitch. if you will be there, you will see 3,000 pounds of confetti. yes, guys, 3,000 pounds of confetti and, of course, the beautiful ball. >> i would much prefer to be invited to the dress rehearsal, less people in times square. >> that's good >> it's going to be a good one

and a full house there. now we want to get a check of your 7:30 headlines this morning, including new calls for representative-elect george santos to be investigated. incoming representative and santos' election opponent want the house ethics committee to investigate santos after he admitted to lying on his resumé about his background, wall street career and college-degree federal and county prosecutors have already opened investigations into santos' finances the new york republican is scheduled to be sworn in next tuesday. the cost of a life-saving drug for people with diabetes will be capped january 1 but not every patient is getting the relief it's part of an inflation reduction act. set to go into effect in the new year keeping the cost of insulin at $35 or under a month, but the only patients who qualify are seniors on medicare. that will be millions of diabetics left out

the price of the drug can rang from $50 a vial to $1,000 each month. the skiing world, the first time in more than five decades two americans won first and second places in the women's world cup slalom mikaela shiffrin and paula moltzan made history last night in austria. the u.s. team hasn't had a 1-2 finish in the world cup even since back in 1971 for mikaela shiffrin, the first ski racer with 50 world cup wins in a single discipline crazy. it was her 80th world cup win overall. two short of the women's record of 82, which she will surely break at some point. >> i think for sure. continuing in the sports world, we do have some sad new that rocked the sports world and beyond the family of brazilian soccer legend pele announcing he died at the age of 82. >> pele famously said he was important to play soccer like beethoven was born to write music and michelangelo was born to paint soccer fans know that's true,

the world recognizes a life that transcended sport as tributes pour in for one of the greatest athletes of all time >> reporter: overnight in brazil fans mourning the loss of soccer legend pele. the global sports icon died in a sao paulo hospital on thursday at the age of 82 after a battle with colon cancer. born to poverty in 1940, he dominated his sao paulo schoolyard where he picked up the nickname pele. in 1950 he watched his father cry after brazil's world cup loss to uruguay. >> i told him, father, don't worry. i will win a world cup for you >> reporter: pele made good on that promise in 1958, at 17, he sprinted on to the world stage becoming the youngest player to score a goal in a fifa world cup match. brazil went on to win the cup. the country's first of three with pele as their star. making him the only player to earn three world cup titles. he became the world's highest

paid athlete and thrilled americans in 1975 by signing with the new york cosmos before retiring from the sport two years later. >> i feel very, very sad because i love soccer. and it's like a part of my life i lost >> reporter: but pele would continue to gain fame off the pitch. serving as a u.n. ambassador, even becoming a frequent white house guest. pele's declining health became public last year he was later hospitalized during this year's world cup just one month before his death tributes to soccer's king flooded social media soccer superstar cristiano ronaldo called pele an inspiration to so many millions. former president obama wrote he understood the power of sports to bring people together and pele's daughter shared this message, everything we are is

thanks to you. we love you infinitely while pele coined his sport as the beautiful game, today it's his beautiful message that fans across the world echo. >> say it with me three times. love. >> love! >> love. >> love! >> love! >> love. >> we can all use some of that, couldn't we? it is that message of love tha will be cemented in pele's legacy you will be awed by the athletic ability on the pitch but beyond the sport is what he will be remembered for >> absolutely. andy warhol said most people would have 15 minutes of fame, he would have 15 centuries. >> that's exactly right. >> he turned soccer into art and entertainment. one of a kind. >> we will miss him. coming up, we are looking back at other sports and entertainment figures the world lost this year and their impact. first, travel this holiday season has not been easy vicky nguyen has tips for navigating the chaos.

>> good morning. we witnessed what happened over that christmas travel or some experienced it firsthand i will tell you what to do before your next trip and also what to do if you are caught up in that chaos so you can have smooth sailing after these messages right here on "today. ♪ hey, t thanks for r helping me. of couourse. you can n easily getet helpful cucustomer serervice over thehe phone of couourse. you can n easily getet oror on the prprogressive ep pretty m much anywheher. like at t the coffeeee shop, oror on the prprogressive ep pretty m much anywheher. at thehe park, oror on the prprogressive ep pretty m much anywheher. or o on the moonon. just k kidding. it's anonother coffefee sho. or o on the moonon. on october the 4th, my daughter was diagnosed with a rare malignant rhabdoid tumor on the spine. the surgeries that she's had and the mris and everything, all that cost a lot of money. and that's something that we don't have. as far as life saving for my daughter,

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♪ with "today's consumer confidential" for many the 2022 holiday season has been frocked with travel mayhem. >> once in a generation winter storm, a pre-pandemic number of travelers and canceled flights a travel nightmare. >> nbc's senior consumer and investigative correspondent vicky nguyen is here fortunately for us with a good guide to work your way through these travel woes what do you know >> good morning. complements to the person who chose the music. it's so great leading into those segments if you are traveling by car, train, and especially by plane, for many people getting around this holiday season has been frustrating with a capital "f. i talked to the experts for the advice what you should be doing before, during and after your travel to make the next trip smooth when it comes to travel, one of the most stressful holiday seasons on record. >> four days we were stuck we had to book this flight for $3,000, then yesterday hotel night, buy our own food and cost me almost $10,000.

>> reporter: so how do you make it through a chaotic travel season without the chaos first there are things you should know and do before you even head to the airport check your flight status it's on your carrier's website or app don't rely on the airlines to proactively notify you. >> as we have seen when an airline has a particularly widespread meltdown, sometimes their systems that normally would notify you might be under a bit of strain. >> reporter: don't check a bag bring a carry-on this will greatly increase your flexibility if there are delays, cancellations or if you miss a connecting flight. if you do have to check a bag, put a gps tracker inside of it and take a picture of the contents >> i was told my luggage would arrive on the next available flight that has been sent but so far no luggage. >> reporter: remember under federal law you are entitled to reimbursement up to $3,800 for any items lost in checked luggage. and rather than purchase travel

insurance, take stock of all the ways you may already be insured. possibly through your credit card, the federal government and even the airline itself. now, if you do get to the airport and your flight is canceled, act quickly. it's a first come, first serve environment in terms of getting on to a new flight the quicker you act, the more options yowill have. >> many times the loophole to get through to an agent as quick as possible is actually to look up an airline's international phone number. >> reporter: also, the major carriers have something called interline agreements which allows them to book you on other airlines if your flight is canceled the budget airlines like spirit, frontier and southwest do not have these agreements. so a cancellation could result in days of delays. >> in many cases, you are actually going to be entitled to things like compensated meals, free hotel for the night, taxi to and from the hotel. >> reporter: and if you are picking someone up from the airport get their flight number. that way you can check online to see if they have been delayed or redirected

and it is important to know that the department much transportation website has a link it's called the airline customer service dashboard. it spells out in clear terms for you what you are entitled to when your flight is canceled keep in mind, it's different per airline. some give you a hotel. others rebook you on a different airline. some pay for your meals. and we know you can't protect yourself from all travel headaches. a tip with technology, put a tracker, a gps tracker in your bag. i love that fip tip. if you can't do the carry-on, that's the fastest way to find your luggage. >> the next is, getting it back. >> exactly >> airline customer service dashboard. writing it down right now. >> on your hand. >> you're the best thank you. all right. obviously, travelers have their eyes on the skies. for that we go to dylan. you are tracking weather on the west coast >> it's been storm after storm after storm. we are just continuing to see the impact with winter storm

warnings, ice storm warnings and flooding possible across california this is all great news to fill up the reservoirs to get the rain we need in that part of the country. unfortunately, it's happening all at the same time more rain is moving into northwestern california. central and northern california today will be the area we see the heaviest rain, also western oregon will see the heavier rain, too. above 5,000 feet mostly snow into tomorrow you see it shifts south of san francisco, more into the l.a. area that's going to be where we will see some of our heaviest rain tomorrow then this moves across the rockies and brings some of the heavier snow through the higher elevations as we continue through the weekend. and then we will wait for the next storm system to make its way onshore. we are going through sunday we will see up to 3 to 5 inches of rain, 10 inches possible in the foothills in the sierra nevada mountain range as for snow, again 9,000 feet we could end up with five feet of snow again this is great for the ski resorts, great for the reservoirs, but just unfortunate when it happens at the same time

and this is a live look at the golden gate bridge. live rain coming down. i'm meteorologist vianey arana. dylan talked about the impacts for the west coast. here is what we can expect heading into the 4:00 hour. that flood watch goes into effect for the north bay and the rest of the bay area starting at 10:00 p.m. rain totals 3 to 5 inches, about 1 to 2 inches everywhere else. also monitoring creeks and streams. we'll see a rapid rise heading into the weekend into sunday. forecast >> thank you. coming up next, we are taking another look at some of the best and most thought-provoking images of the year with an award-winning photographer to talk about the story behind each of them. ththat's rightht after thihis.

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we are back with the best and most thought-provoking photos of the last year through the eyes of a multi-award winning photographer. >> al bello is a 30-year veteran senior correspondent for getty images good morning thanks for being with us >> this is a great way to reflect on the last year one of the most dominant stories is ukraine right now continued bombardment by the russians i want to start with this photo of a ukrainian couple. it captures the resilience of the ukrainian people. >> when chris mcgrath took this

picture they were at irpin early in war they were being evacuated, the women from the men, had to stay back and fight and the women were going on the evacuation train and he was with this couple early on in the morning and just when the train was about to leave her husband reached across the gates and grabbed her and they had one last kiss good-bye it was beautiful. >> talk about a snapshot that is a single moment in time. another one is this photo of the queen's casket this is a moment that literall got the entire world to stop and pause and reflect. >> what's beautiful about this photo is the shape of it and the background is clean, the white hands and all the other guardsmen around the queen's casket it's beautiful almost like a heart, in way. and she was loved by so many. >> she sure was. it's a beautiful moment of celebration and mourning captured in that photo

i want to go t an iconic image here from the u.s. justice ketanji brown jackson being sworn in. as a supreme court justice the first black female justice tell us about this >> look at all the people around here all eyes are on justice jackson. she is beaming i mean, and the backstory a little bit, the photographer had to wait eight hours for that feet a lot of photography is weird. hurry up and wait. ever heard of that i have been there a million times. >> that's the name of the game in this business >> it's a great photo. it's great. >> one of the biggest icons is tiger woods making a huge comeback this last year. just look at the way he is framed by the light. this shot is so cool. >> i love this photo the second i saw it, you know, and mike erman, who took this, it's perfect because tiger's got his red on it's at night, which is unusual.

it's almost just past twilight he positioned the subject, tiger, behind the spotlight and it's almost like a painting. it's beautiful beautiful photo. >> the final image captured by you, which shows the first woman to play in pro men's baseball. >> yeah. her name is kelsey whitmore, and she is pitching against an ominous looking sky. >> look at that. >> wow >> the first woman to play professional baseball in a man's league and succeeding she's got the first hit, the first time to pitch, all with the team associated with major league baseball. she is quite a resilient, strong player. >> it is just a remarkable photo. the power and the movement in it thank you. we appreciate it happy new year to you. >> happy new year. thank you.

and coming up, we look ahead to some new laws that take effect january 1st from legalizing marijuana and changing gun regulations to a new state holiday in honor of the lunar new year. and nick cannon welcoming baby number 12 announcing they gained a new bundle of jojoy. fifirst your l local news.s. the abcs o of ckd

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a very good friday morning to you. it is 7:56. i'm laura garcia. here's a look at what's happening now. >> reporter: i'm bob redell. the rain overnight already causing some problems. this is video that we received a few hours ago into our newsroom. this is from marin county, highway 101 there is a rock slide. happened around 1:00 a.m. this morning in the southbound direction south of spencer avenue. we don't believe anyone was hurt but several cars were damaged. four had to be towed away, three more needed tire changes. caltrans used a front loader to remove debris. that road is cleared in time for the morning's commute. let's get a look at the forecast with vianey. this is what it looks like now. we're seeing the lighter rain, but in the next 24 hours, here is what to expect. north bay flood watch begins at 4:00 p.m. the cause for concern will go into the early morning saturday

hour. 3 to 5 inches and locally higher, the potential for run-off flooding likely, also a rapid rise in the creeks and streams into the early morning hours especially for the burn scar zones as well. sunday forecast we do have a stormy start tomorrow, by saturday evening we'll see the rain clear out toward l.a. making way for a lovely sunday. dry into sunday so enjoy your first day of 2023. as we head into the week ahead, we do keep under a pretty active weather pattern. thank you very much. thank you for joining us as well. another local news update in half an hour.

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♪ it's 8:00 on "today. coming up, finally flying. southwest airlines says it's ready for normal operations again after a nightmare week for holiday travelers. the meltdown coming under scrutiny from federal officials. >> we are going to be putting southwest airlines under a microscope in terms of their delivering these kinds of reimbursements and refunds to passengers. >> we're live with the latest. then the rain event. the confetti is set, the ball is raised and the crowds are descending on times square, but what does the weather have in store?

dylan has our full forecast. plus, miley one-on-one ♪ i was born to run ♪ ♪ i don't belong to anyone ♪ hoda catches up with miley cyrus ahead of the new year's eve special alongside dolly parton what to expect from the superstar duo as they ring in 2023 >> me and dolly, you know, she says you be you, i be me, and together we've got the perfect show and paying tribute this morning we remember the singers, actors, activists, sports stars and more who we said good-bye to this past year as we look back at some legends. today december 30th, 2022. ♪ finishing 2022 on the plaza. >> from arizona. >> virginia. >> and cape coral, florida. >> visiting from louisiana.

>> turning 40 today. ♪ >> it's megan's 21st birthday. >> shout out to my students in alabama. >> happy new year, "today" show. ♪ >> our last plaza crowd of the year welcome back to "today." we appreciate you being with us as we ring in the new year a little bit early the last friday. tomorrow we will do it again on the saturday show, as well we are ready to ring in the new year. >> our crowd is ready. they have that new year's eve vibe going some even have hats on. >> this is the official pregame for the times square new year's eve celebrations so come on out, everybody. >> there you go. to your news at 8:00 right now, there is a lot to tell you about. we start with the travel update ahead of new year's eve. nbc's blayne alexander has been on the story from the start for us, she is at her spot in atlanta again today with the

very latest. blayne, good morning. >> reporter: peter, good morning to you good news today for a lot of southwest passengers right now they are starting the day with 41 cancellations. that is a dramatic improvement from the past week or so yesterday more than 2,300. all told, 15,000 flights were grounded the ceo says there is no way to apologize enough to the many thousands of passengers inconvenienced what they are doing is trying to make it up to them in the form of reimbursements. they have set up a special website where passengers can submit their receipts for things like hotel, meals, other airlines that they had to purchase, air tickets that they had to purchase and get reimbursed for the unplanned expenses the airline says they will spend the next few weeks processing those many claims. now, transportation secretary pete buttigieg tells me that he is going to be holding the company under a microscope making sure that they deliver to their customers and he says that he has planned -- he is ready,

rather, to enforce fines, massive fines to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars per passenger per violation if they are not reimbursed properly. meanwhile, they are also talking about luggage. we saw the mountains of luggage across the country in different airports the airline says that they are shipping those back to customers free of charge they have also set up a website to try to reunite people with their bags. >> everybody praying for a little smooth sailing today. thank you very much. of course, that depends on the weather. so we're watching it closely a storm is moving east across the country bringing rain and warmer weather so there is some good news and bad news dylan has your new year's eve forecast this mixed bag you are watching. >> would you rather have warm temperatures with rain or cold temperatures and no rain i don't know but here is what we've got a lot of rain moving through louisiana into mississippi today. this will transition into the northeast as we go into tomorrow so that will bring rain along with those warmer temperatures to the northeast let's break down what you can expect this holiday weekend for

travelers. saturday again we are going to see the heaviest of the rain through the atlanta and charlotte areas. we could end up with delays there. minor delays in the northeast up into new england san francisco will likely see some delays. sunday rain and snow in the salt lake city area and through l.a., phoenix heavy rain we could see delays there. the middle of the country looks great. the southeast and northeast look great for the most part. sunday morning in boston a little bit of lingering rain that could perhaps create some delays not a big deal the east coast looks good monday through dallas into houston heavy rain takes hold, up into chicago and detroit. watch out for isolated delays. minneapolis with the snow, we could see delays same goes for the rockies and out in san francisco yet another storm system will make its way onshore that could create delays in that part of the country. kristen? >> thank you. well, in addition to the rain the new year brings in new laws what do you need to know come

january 1? nbc's ken dilanian breaks it down for us. >> good morning. dozens of new state laws take effect when the clock strikes midnight new year's eve from the meaningful to the mundane. here is a sampling in one of the most consequential criminal justice policy changes in years, illinois is poised to become the first state to completely eliminate cash bail the law is under court challenge, but if it takes effect new year's day as planned advocates say it will make the justice system fairer to those with low income while giving judges discretion to detain people who pose a danger. >> i believe that violent criminals, people who are a danger to the community, will be detained and those who are not a danger will be released on bond. >> reporter: following the lead of many european countries, california will become the first state to ban the sale and production of most products made from animal fur. >> it's a barbaric kill for no purpose other than vanity. >> reporter: the law bars

residents from selling or making fur clothing, shoes or handbags, though it doesn't apply to leather, used items or those used for religious for tribal purposes california is also repealing a law this year against jaywalking under the freedom to walk act, pedestrians may cross the street outside of an intersection without being ticketed as long as it's safe to do so. before jaywalkers in california could receive a fine of up to $198 in kentucky, the so-called get back to work law will significantly restrict eligibility for unemployment benefits supporters say it's needed to help employers fill vacant job openings critics say it will hurt struggling residents alaska is changing what it means to consent to sex in that state. the previous law required a use of force to prove sexual assault. now consent must be positively expressed by word or action. >> we have long known that the definition of consent that we currently have is not working. >> reporter: the new year will also usher in newly relaxed drug

laws missouri is legalizing recreational marijuana use and maryland will do so in july, joining 19 other states and washington, d.c. colorado became the second state to decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms. back to you guys. >> thank you that's the news. how about a boost? this is made for you guys. listen up. if you have kids you might be able to confirm the youngest child energy a father captures this video o his three boys in the front yard the first two are dutifully shoveling snow on the driveway while the third child is laying face down in the snow. at one point one of his brothers dumps snow on to him all he does is move to a different spot creates a hole in the snow for his face and continues his cat nap. does that not say it all about a youngest child >> i hope he is okay. >> the older brother is like, where is johnny? >> i think he is just

chillaxing all right. coming up, you guys, kim kardashian hitting back at photoshop accusations in the perfect way. first, hoda sits down with miley cyrus who is going extra glam for her big new year's eve special that, of course, is right here on nbc. and her co-host dolly parton just might have something to do with that. it's ahead right after this. s.ad (police radio call)

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wear to show your support. i'm grateful for every dollar or dime that anybody gives, because that's why my child's still here. that's why she's still alive. from the donations. we're back at 8:14 in less than 48 hours the ball drops, the countdown begins and soon after we welcome 2023 two music icons are joining together on saturday night to help us ring in the new year miley cyrus is co-hosting nbc's "miley's new year's eve party" with her godmother dolly parton. >> i love that's her godmother that's a good gig. miley is building up the suspense by posting an onlin

countdown with many of her biggest fans wondering if miley's new year means new music. hoda caught up with miley as she was working on her show. ♪ >> reporter: miley cyrus skyrocketed to fame when she was 13 ♪ >> reporter: capturing our hearts in the hit show "hannah montana." >> i'm hannah montana. >> growing up in front of our eyes, and giving us a glimpse into miley's world through her deeply personal music. ♪ >> reporter: last month, the one-time teen star turned 30 she says she is embracing change >> my 20s were so much fun if you don't believe me, i think you can google it. it's a different kind of fun i feel that whatever i had in my purpose to prove, i did that. and now it's less about proving to others and more about for myself ♪ >> reporter: and now all eyes are on the grammy nominee after

she took to social media teasing new year, new miley. fans are hopeful this means new music. she is not saying, but it is a time of reflection how are you different at this moment in your life? >> somehow i am completely different and in somehow i'm exactly the same if you watch a video of me at 6 or 7 years old, it's exactly who is sitting here talking to you now. it makes me emotional because three days ago did i ever look around and go, i just did this like, i just had an idea that, like, i wanted to go to a singing lesson and it just happened and it was all, like, that instinct. >> reporter: now leading her to join forces with her godmother and north star dolly parton. they will ring in the new year as co-hosts of nbc's "miley's new year's eve party." >> talk about your celebration with dolly parton. come on. celebrating new year's together? what's the biggest lesson dolly has taught you >> the meaning of a great

seamstress that knows how to suck in all the right places. >> reporter: when we turn it on, what's the vibe? >> people will be affected by the show there is a chemistry and a realness and a love and a connection that her and i have ♪ jolene, jolene, jolene ♪ >> reporter: they say the celebration is all about getting glamorous and dressing your best. >> well, we do that every day, don't we, miley? >> reporter: dolly had some advice for miley. >> i have never seen dolly actually scared before, but i told her, you know, at the end of the year i was wanting to do something different. i am going to dye my hair brunette she acted like i told her the worst news she clutched her pearls, gasped and went back and said you can't do that, you are me. so i will be blonde. >> reporter: in true dolly fashion, the party outfits are top of mind. >> i showed up to the promo shoot in a dress i thought was very dolly parton. everything that you need to be

very dolly parton and big hair and full lip gloss she goes, so, you know, how va-va-voom are we going for new year's i said, well, what do you thin of this dress on a scale of one to va-va-voom? she goes, i think you look conservative. >> reporter: performances by artists miley says some of her favorites. i can't wait for this show. >> me and dolly, you know, she says you be you, i be me, and together we've got the perfect show >> this has the potential to be the perfect show miley cyrus people love, but dolly parton, how good does she look >> amazing. >> i want to be friends with dolly. >> exactly i hope they sing "jolene." you think they will? >> no-brainer. have to throw that in there. catch "miley's new year's eve party" live from miami tomorrow night at 10:30 eastern on nbc and on peacock. >> plus, you guys, "hoda & jenna" are having a toast to 2022 tomorrow night at 8:00 on

nbc. it's going to be so good. >> how cool is that? that's going to be awesome dylan is out on the plaza getting the party started right now. >> good morning, everybody all this talk of new year's and new year's eve, we have got birthdays to celebrate happy sweet 16. >> thank you. >> your birthday is today? >> yes. >> what's it like having a birthday this time of year >> it makes me look forward to something after christmas. so i still can be excited for stuff. >> silver lining i love it. that's great i hope you have a wonderful birthday thank you for being here let's look at the forecast going on across the country. for today we are looking at record high temperatures possible in the northeast. 50s and 60s. it's beautiful out here right now. strong storms down along the gulf coast it is going to be chilly behind that cold front. dropping back down into the 30s and 40s across the upper midwest and more wet weather out in california northern california today where a flood risk is possible and that translates to mountain snow too.

that's what's going on around the country. now here's a peek out your window. we have light to moderate showers passing through most of the bay area right now. in addition to that, expect active weather up to the sierra as well. scanning the skies, a couple of pockets into fremont over the next 24 hours, a north bay flood watch goes into effect. by 10. who is celebrating birthdays over here? lots of birthdays. see? it's not just new year's, guys >> thanks so much. jacob is here. he is here with "popstart" today. >> ladies and gentlemen, first up nick cannon a big congratulations to his family as he welcomes baby number 12. mother alyssa scott shared an adorable new photo with halo, who made her arrival on december 14th you all remember that cannon and scott tragically lost their son

zen last year from brain cancer. scott sharing the first moments the new parents had with their daughter while paying tribute to their son in the caption zen is in every breath i take. i know his spirit was with us in the room that morning. congratulations to them. what a special moment. next up, kim kardashian, the reality star gets real on social media in a new unedited video on her ig story kim shared the behind-the-scenes video of herself, sisters and mom posing together at the family's christmas eve party a subtle response following growing speculation over the use of photoshop in the picture on tuesday, some wondering if the family were even in the same room together people wonder that about us, you guys, when we are on the couch are we really there? >> this is real. this is not photoshopped. >> they faced criticism over use of filters. that's what that was all about now a moment to remember some of the people we lost in 2022 from entertainers to activists, even one of history's

longest reigning monarchs. we are paying tribute this morning to their talents and contributions to the world >> you realize i had a good >> you've been real nice i had a good time. thank you very much. [ cheers and applause ♪ ♪ ♪ hopelessly devoted to you ♪♪ ♪ hopelessly devoted to you ♪ ♪ ♪ when i was born a coal miner' daughter ♪

♪♪ ♪ ♪ >> i'll have mr. adventure eating out of my hands, sir. ♪ >> boy, is he funny or what? ♪ ♪ living in a gangsta's paradise ♪ >> as far back as i could remember, i always wanted to be a gangster ♪ ♪ >> georgie's getting married >> what? >> georgie's getting married ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ love can build a bridge ♪ ♪ don't stop thinking about tomorrow ♪ ♪ ♪ >> it is a long journey to this moment ♪ >> oh, how are you, sam? ♪ ♪ a song g as old as rhyme ♪ ♪ beaeauty and bebeast ♪

[ cheers and applause ♪ ♪ >> i declare before you all with my whole life, whether it's a long or short one, shall be devoted to your service. ♪ >> all of those people had such a monumental impact on our world. vivienne westwood just passed yesterday. olivia newton-john is timeless, seemed like, when i was a kid. >> always nice to celebrate those lives before we look ahead to the year. >> yeah. >> they felt like friends, didn't they? >> absolutely. >> we are back right after your local news ♪ they? >> absoluty. >>el w

good morning, everyone. 8:26. i'm scott mcgrew. we are under a microclimate weather alert. the rain is expected to bring flooding, even landslides. the rain causing this rockslide along highway 101 in marin about 1:00 this morning on the southbound direction of 101 south of spencer. we do not believe anybody was hurt, but several cars were damaged, four had to be towed away, three needed to get tire changes. that road is now clear. vianey, you're worried about landslides, as well. >> absolutely. especially considering how much rain we'll get into the early morning hours. but this is sort of the tame aspect of the warm front sneaking through, bringing light

to moderate rain. this is time to prepare for what's to come. in the next 24 hours, there's a closer look at what to expect. north bay flood watch begins at 4:00 p.m., and then it becomes for most of the area around 10:00 p.m. heavy mountain rain, 3 to 5 inches, locally higher. runoff will be an issue. flooding will be likely. also we'll monitor the rapid rise in our creeks and streams nearby. so if you live near a creek or a stream, we'll keep a very close eye for a stormy start on saturday. rain moves out just in time for their new year's eve celebrations.

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we are back at 8:30 as we kick off the holiday weekend here on the plaza.

it is the eve of new year's eve, and these guys are fired up. are you guys ready >> everybody's ready to celebrate. >> a few short blocks away from times square, these folks are getting started. we are ready to celebrate as well we are going to be popping open a few corks of bubbly. we have got the bottles here our expert here, as well she will help you make the right pick with your new year's eve party and she is stirring up some champagne cocktails as well. >> save these guys some champagne. >> for sure. >> guys, then for new year's day delicious appetizers for a special "sunday night football" on january 1, new year's day, "sunday night football," pulled pork pigs in a blanket with beer cheese dip my mouth is watering and crispy rolls that every football fan will love. >> on the "3rd hour of today" from thanksgiving to valentine's day, engagement season jill martin will introduce us to a woman who is trying to change how people shop for jewelry.

>> all right sparkling there. and coming up next week on "today," as the calendar flips to 2023, many of us like to set goals and reset for the year ahead. harry smith sits down with an expert on the best ways to do that, and how to find motivation and meaning in our lives as well. >> you hear the horns sounding people are getting ready we are checking on the forecast as well for everybody getting ready to ring in the new year. >> it's looking warm considering how cold it was last week. we will see a nice warmup up and down the east coast. especially as we go into today and tomorrow high temperatures running 15 to 20 degrees above average 19 degrees above average in buffalo with a high of 53. lexington, kentucky, 64 degrees. that's going to feel real nice and then as we go into new year's eve and day temperatures stay close to 60 degrees in washington, d.c., even up into boston 57 on saturday, but we have that big ball drop here in new york city. it looks mostly wet leading up to the ball drop and a few lingering showers at midnight.

temperatures about 53 degrees, which will feel real nice if you are stuck outside in the rain. that's what's going on around the country. now here's a peek out your window. a live look in san jose. notice the skies. we'll continue to see that cloud cover, periods of on-and-off rain. through the afternoon, it increases around 4:00. all the watches start going into effect. for early saturday morning, but eel have storm ranger continuing to scan the skies. doppler radar, areas of rain moving into fremont, along san francisco. "sunday night football" of the new year we're heading to baltimore, the steelers taking on the ravens. looks like a beautiful, beautiful night for a game mostly clear, mild, temperatures about 51 degrees that's sunday night at 7:00 eastern right here on nbc and on peacock. we have a special guest on

the plaza this morning where are you from, sir? >> i love his naughty hat. >> what's your name? >> cutie. >> that's cooper he is here, where is he from from maryland. his mom's name is? terry. thanks for coming, terry give it up for cooper, everybody. [ cheers and applause >> i hope you are not allergic. >> sweet pea he is adorable. >> a little nugget next, by the way, our favorite sommelier stirring up cocktails right for new year's eve. >> we are looking forward to that and then some cool party tricks as peter and i try to build a champagne tower. what could go wrong? first, this is "today" on nbc.

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we are back at 8:36. we are already ready to drink. who needs to know the time what better way to kick off the new year tha a traditional glass of bubbly. there are a lot of options and

price points in the world of sparkly wine. >> we are excited about this to help you find the perfect bottle for your new year's eve, we brought in wine expert and sommelier vanessa price. she is also going to mix up delicious champagne cocktails. we are excited about this one. >> yes all things bubbles it's that time of the year. >> happy new year to you. >> i am so excited. >> we are starting off with prosecco versus champagne? >> i get this question a lot is there really a difference the answer is yes. they are both wonderful, awesome, amazing sparkling wines but they are very different. prosecco comes from italy. champagne comes from france. prosecco is made in the tank method the fermentation that makes those nice little bubbles and a little bit of alcohol that makes us happy, that happens in a tank i would definitely do a taste test between the two champagne is the traditional method this is where the fermentation happens in the same bottle that you drink it from, which is really, really crazy if you start to think about it. obviously, this is going to yield two different price points because you are talking about more labor, more time spent.

so we've got two awesome representations here. >> both excellent, by the way. >> i'm actually -- i was leaning prosecco today. >> really? >> i'm leaning champagne. >> that's the thing. >> we are going to knock them down and see how we feel in a little bit. >> should we move on >> talk about the grand royal cocktail for a second. >> this is a really great one. i wanted to pick some bubbly cocktails that feel really festive leading into the new year we have two options here one goes a little bit more to the sweet side, one a little bit more of the bitter side versus the grand royale you can use champagne, use prosecco, whatever the sparkling wine of your choice is. >> and drink with the orange peel in it >> exactly one part grand marnier, four parts sparkling wine a garnish with the rosemary and orange twist. >> that's got a kick. >> you can add if you wanted to try, you could add a sugar cube if you want to make it a little bit sweeter, just depends how you feel about it. >> this going to be an interesting last 15 minutes of

the show [ laughter ] >> it's a test >> this is very good i like how decorative it looks. >> right you walk around and feel very festive. >> you did a nice job with these. what's this? >> this one is a little bit more on the bitter side have you ever had absinthe >> i am not sure. >> i am so excited we will do this live on national television. >> if i have, i don't remember >> it's about the same thing one part absinthe to four parts sparkling wine it's called ernest hemingway's "death in the afternoon." >> that's a kick it will wake you up in the morning. how about that >> that makes it interesting. >> this is garnished to give it that festive holiday -- >> licorice taste, right >> this is a centerpiece for any party. >> i have built my champagne tower. i want you guys to build -

>> you propose with this red solo cups. we are using kristen's grandma's crystal to see how this goes today. >> we have our stations here. >> all right. >> oh, my goodness. >> yes, okay a couple of things to keep in mind number one, you have to use the style of glass that you see here they have all got to be the same i know that actually when the team was first building they had some that were a little different height and they realized that does not work. have to be the same height basically, the top row has one glass and then you count row two is two times two, row three is three times three, and you stack. >> this is going to go poorly. >> you are doing great the secret is to make sure the stem of this glass is in the center of the hole that's made from the four glasses below it touching. >> it's hard to see it after that sip of absinthe. >> we should have done it in the break. >> should we try >> yeah.

>> is it worth it? >> you have to make sure that they are all touching. >> exactly just like that perfect. then perfect on top. then you have a nice little three liter here so a three liter is equivalent to four bottles of champagne >> i'm terrified. >> start at the top. you got it and you just got it let it go up and then over the sides. >> oh, yeah! >> beautiful, right? >> yeah. look at that. >> right you've got to keep going. >> you are not done. you are only on the top level. >> right, right, right, right. >> and then pours down and down and down and down. >> this is amazing. >> it's a little bit of a tricep workout. >> this is incredible. this is a real party move right here >> right >> my goodness. >> i always have a champagne tower at my new year's eve because it's so festive. it's so fun. and if you get to the point where you're, like, you know what i don't know if i can fill the

bottom you can cheat a little and pour around the outside. >> we are going to knock these back in the break room we wish you a happy new year. >> you just made it a lot happier. straight ahead, you and your family of football fans will love the game day dishes we are going to cook up. >> that was a rich pour right here including a twist on the classic pigs in a blanket that makes them tastier first, this is "today" on nbc.

♪ all right, guys. back with a special edition of "today food loves football." this sunday the steelers take on the ravens laura detalli is a cookbook author and internet host of laura in the kitchen, here with quick and easy new year's apps for the game. >> good morning. >> i'm already starting to drink. pigs in a blanket here is what this is. >> pigs in a blanket, everybody loves them, kids love them, adults love them i wanted to make them in a way

that is a little bit elevated. i like pigs in a blanket i don't like two or three. think of them as fancy pigs in a blanket but they couldn't be easier i use crescent roll, just regular crescent rolls. >> a pizza cutter? >> yes, cut them into strips because then we cut the strips in half. >> got you and then you take each half and you're going to wrap a little wiener, a little hot dog wiener in there. >> only half >> just like that, right and put it in a spring form pan. then in the center i leave a little bit of a hollow spot because you put in the ramekin and that's a great spot to place mustards or whatnot. >> after this is in the oven >> right i also like to brush a little bit of mustard, sometimes a dijon, sometimes yellow. >> any kind of mustard >> or none at all. >> peter alexander has taken the antipasto to town already. >> bake them at 375, 15, 20

minutes. i do a beer cheese dip you can do mustard. >> i'm going to sample them. >> you can do pretty much anything. >> so good delicious, right >> you really -- >> how does it taste, guys >> excellent. >> and we brought champagne in case you want to finish this. >> that's great, too. >> what do we got here >> this is baked crispy feta, like the latest trendy thing, although greek grandmothers have been making this for centuries don't let the internet -- okay take a piece of phillo pastry. it doesn't make a difference. >> you brushed on butter >> a little bit of butter. one sheet and then place another sheet on top and you kind of fold it just like so and you're going to take -- >> which direction >> piece of feta here and then fold it and then like a burrito side in, and then roll it like a

cigar. >> roll it like a cigar. i do a lot of cigar rolling. >> i love the pigs in a blanket but this is awesome. >> and then place them on a baking sheet you brush a little bit more butter on top and then i like to sprinkle with sesame seeds you can actually even do some everything but the bagel seasoning. >> how much beer do you drink while making this? >> as much as you want bake them 15, 20 minutes at 350. >> honey on top? >> i like to drizzle a little hot honey. the feta needs some sweetness and hot honey i think is the way to go and everyone loves them. >> my wife tells me i eat like a disgusting human on the "today" show it's so good. >> that is the ultimate, like, to the chef, so you know. >> antipasto >> everyone loves an antipasto everyone will come over with a veggie board, charcuterie board.

whatever you have left over, put it on a skewer, drizzle over -- it could be a caesar dressing. i do a simple olive oil, vinegar, parmesan cheese, garlic and i make antipasto that i can watch the game, have my beer, play my cards while i still eat really good food one-handed. >> can you have people do it like an activity >> you can set it up like this >> don't give me an activity to do. >> just serve me [ laughter ] >> coming over to make my skewers. >> set up a board and people can make their own skewers how much fun is that >> for those of us who are football challenged, it's a good activity. >> i love to drizzle a little vinaigrette. a store bought is fine take some herbs, parmesan cheese, garlic. >> mine doesn't look like yours. somebody stepped on my antipasto skewer

>> cheers. >> cheers. laura vitale, thank you. happy new year today.com/food for these recipes. don't forget to watc the steelers and ravens face off new year on sunday into the football 7:00 eastern right here on nbc, stream it on peacock we will be right back, but first cheers. cheers. cheers!>> - life is uncertain. everyday pressures can feel overwhelming it's okay to feel stressed, anxious, worried, or frustrated. it's normal. with calhope's free and secure mental health resources, it's easy to get the help you and your loved ones need when you need it the most. call our warm line at (833) 317-4673 or live chat at calhope.org today.

♪ welcome back well, we have so much to celebrate, but as we are about to ring in the new year, we want to celebrate birthdays, as well. >> we have the champagne to do so along with our smucker's this morning. let's spin the smucker's jars and wish a very happy birthday 100th birthday to irene seaman, an active lady from sarasota, florida. the oldest and longest serving member of her local yacht club that works out with her name, right? cecile is 100. she has an amazing memory and can remember books that she read more than 50 years ago

so cool. happy, get this, 108th birthday to mr. willie dawson, active volunteer from st. louis, missouri he served his church for more than 80 years. cheers to that mary alice eubanks is 100 years old. this birdwatcher from chapel hill, north carolina, home to our friends at wral. she loves to dress up and accessorize every day. i love that. looking beautiful. jean satin of boca raton, florida, 100 she uses her creative talents to make her own jewelry really cool. last but certainly not least, happy 100th birthday to eleanor edmonds lewis. the city declared it eleanor lewis day. check it out check out the proclamation so cool. if you or a loved one are celebrating a milestone birthday tell us about it at today.com/celebrates. >> cheers to that. and cheers to all of our birthdays. so many toasts happening

and, dylan, stick around for more, because coming up on the third and fourth hours we have a lot, but right now we want to wrap up this hour with a big thank you to our amazing staff and we want to cheers to them. >> the best in the business. [ cheers and applause >> their outstanding work throughout the year, here is our tribute to them. happy new year ♪ ♪ ♪ we live in a house of mirrors ♪ ♪ reflections don't make it clearer ♪ ♪ do we wait meditate or fade away ♪ ♪ everyone's so serious and on the run ♪ ♪ they should be delirious and having fun ♪ ♪ slow down, look around wear the crown ♪ ♪ time flies in a second ♪ ♪ close your eyes you're gonna miss it ♪ ♪ oh, i found the secret ♪ ♪ all we got to do ♪ ♪ yeah, all we got to do ♪

♪ is dance, sing, laugh, love ♪ ♪ you want it, you want it ♪ ♪ dance, sing, laugh, love ♪ ♪ you got it, you not it ♪ ♪ dance, sing, laugh, love ♪ ♪ you want it, you got it ♪ ♪ life should make you feel good ♪ ♪ life should make you feel good ♪ ♪ ♪ dance, sing, laugh, love ♪ ♪ made of rainbows even when it's dark you know the rain goes ♪ ♪ ain't like jesus christ and buddha ever fight ♪ ♪ love your work and try your hardest ♪ ♪ life is art and you will be honest ♪ ♪ replicate the things we hate so stay away from negativity ♪ ♪ time flies in a second ♪ ♪ close your eyes you're gonna miss it ♪ ♪ oh i found the secret all we got to do ♪ ♪ all we got to do is ♪

♪ dance, sing, laugh, love ♪ ♪ you want it, you want it ♪ ♪ dance, sing, laugh love ♪ ♪ you got it, you got it ♪ ♪ dance, sing, laugh, love ♪ ♪ you want it, you got it ♪ ♪ life should make you feel good ♪ ♪ life should make you feel good ♪ ♪ oh, you know it should make you feel good ♪ ♪ dance, sing, laugh love ♪ ♪ it should make you feel good ♪ ♪ woo ♪ ♪ you know, oh, you know it should make you feel good, yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ time flies a supersonic second ♪ ♪ close your eyes you know you're gonna miss it ♪ ♪ i finally found my secret ♪ ♪ all we got to do is ♪ ♪ dance, sing, laugh, love ♪ ♪ you want it, you want it ♪ ♪ dance, sing, laugh, love ♪ ♪ you got it, you got it ♪ ♪ dance, sing, laugh, love ♪

♪ you want it ♪ ♪ you got i life should make you feel good ♪ ♪ life should make you feel good ♪ ♪ woo ♪ ♪ dance, sing, laugh, love ♪ ♪ you want it, you got it ♪ ♪ oh oh ♪ ♪ dance, sing, laugh, love ♪ ♪ you want it, you got it ♪ ♪ make you feel good ♪ ♪ gonna make you feel good ♪ ♪ dance, sising, laugh h love ♪ ♪ good morning, everyone. it's 8:56. i'm scott mcgrew. we are under a microclimate weather alert, another round of wet winter weather already targeting the bay area. a live look at slick roads this morning. another round of winter weather will be here soon. a new video into our newsroom

from a rockslide along highway 101 in marin happened around 1:00 this morning in the southbound direction of 101 south of spencer. nobody was hurt as best we know, but several cars were damaged. caltrans used a front holder to remove the rock. the road was cleared in time for the morning commute. bob redell is covering that landslide.

this morning on the "3rd hour of today" our series buddy up we are making scents when we learn the secrets of candle making. "she made it." the holidays are prime engagement season. a woman who turned a business proposal into a successful jewelry company. and joy bauer is dropping the meatball for your new year's eve party with superfood skewers. that's all ahead today, friday, december 30th, 2022 ♪ >> announcer: from studio 1a in rockefeller this it is the "3rd hour of today. good morning and welcome to the "3rd hour of today" on thi