spawning a rare, by vicious tornado outbreak. >> it's like ten to fifteen minutes. twisters etching a path of destruction across several states. >> oh. powerful p winds tossing semis like toy trucks, and that severe weather moves east. grounded, snarling traffic the busiest travel week of the year, more than 5,000 delays in airports across the country. airlines now looking for a christmas miracle to get everyone home for the holidays. not so silent night, senator ted cruz steps up the response to a "washington post" editorial cartoon depicting his daughters as monkeys. >> leave our kids alone. >> as trump leads in a new poll and allude to more attacks on the way against hillary clinton. >> i really haven't gone after hillary yet, and there's a lot to go after. and the ultimate christmas

>> ah! >> what special gift has this woman so excited? we'll tell you today, thursday, december 24th, christmas eve, 2015. from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from rockefeller plaza. good morning, savannah is on vacation. have you seen anyone as excited over a pair of socks for the holidays? >> i want to tell why she's excited, but i'm told we have to keep it under wraps until later in the show. >> absolutely. >> a great story. >> we'll get to it. we start off thursday with the top story which is severe weather that hit the south. dangerous storms generating tornados, more than a dozen reported in mississippi alone. nbc's mark potter is in

many a homeless for the holidays. terrible news, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning matt. this 15 house struck by the tornado. as you can see, part of the roof collapsed, the house itself moved off the foundation. fortunately ly fortunately, no one was killed here, but the death toll in the storm zone stands now at athlete seven. people throughout the south and midwest wake up this morning following a brutal night of storms and tornados. this twister was in mississippi killing a 7-year-old boy, even storm chasers were forced to back up to get out of harm's way. >> we spoke with the uncle of that 7-year-old who says they got to a car to try to take she wanter, and that's when the tornado hit. >> reporter: the area left devastate devastated. >> trees stripped like that, that is very serious damage. >> look at this, a tornado caught on camera. >> reporter: another large and dangerous twister moves through

clarksdale, ravaging more than a dozen homes. >> ten to fifteen houses totally gone, they are totally gone. >> there's still a shock right now. even -- i'm surprised i'm standing. >> reporter: during a vicious storm, a tree fell on this house killing an 18-year-old woman. throughout the area, drivers behinded by rain, and pummelled with hail, some the size of golf balls. this 18-wheeler blown right off the highway. cars and trucks now are a makeshift junk yard. under a warning wednesday, downtown nashville was deserted as sirens went off and people took shelter wherever they could. this anchor among them. >> we're in a basement in nashville with the family sheltering from the tornado warnings. >> and this two month old spent the evening in the close et urn the stairs sleeping through it all. with some missing, authorities are going out today to see if

task, especially during the holidays. matt, hoda? >> all right, mark potter on the story for us, mark, thank you very much. >> wow. dylan's tracking it all. where is the weather headed now? >> the southeast, but not as severe as yesterday. we had 29 reported tornados yesterday. we have a tornado watch in effect here through southeastern alabama into west central georgia in effect until 10:00 a.m. eastern time before it expires. lightning, a lot of activity through atlanta causing delays this morning, but the chance as widespread as it was yesterday. we just have a marginal risk of storms from eastern texas, even up into the mid-atlantic. biggest threat today will be for locally strong wind gusts and heavier downpours. today a, a huge travel day, and in the pacific northwest, there's rain along the coast and

travel troubles through the mountain passes because the snow is very heavy and will fall today. southeast, again, we see stronger storms that produce gustier winds and downpours causing delays at airports, of course, with atlanta as a major hub. up and dune the east coast, traveling early this morning, we'll see delays, pockets of heavier rain and low level fog, but we'll see improvements, especially as we go into afternoon. the worst part of travel in the northeast today will be this morning and then this afternoon it gets better. >> all right, thanks, dylan. frightful weather is snarling holiday travel. thousands of delays across the country. wednesday, that added insult to injury with a record number of travelers expected to be on the move this year. nbc is at laguardia airport, not far from here. stefanie, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt, that bizarre weather talked

guard ya and airports across the country, turning two of the busiest travel days of the year into two of the most painful days and putting aiday plans, hundreds of thousands of them, at risk. the winter storms are playing scrouge. more than 5,000 flights delayed across the country wednesday. dancing merrily >> sending christmas from merry to miserable for many travelers. >> flight's been delayed, now, hopefully not going to be cancelled. earlier flight to raleigh was we pray to get out to get home for christmas. >> rain and heavy fog blanketed the runway putting priceless holiday family time in dangerous for the 38 million people expected to fly this holiday season. >> i don't want to miss >> we have dogs we have to get home to and care for. i hope to get out tonight. >> reporter: the fog hampered would-be fliers at chicago

for the holidays. >> fog is scarry, but we'll see what happens. >> reporter: nowhere worse than atlanta, less than a third of the flights wednesday night were on time. matt, back to you. >> all right, stephanie thank you very much. >> we were tracking flightings to see if we could get out today. looks good. the christmas crunch is gripping stores across the country as last minute shoppers race against the clock to check every name off the list. we are live in miami. is the rush on there already? >> reporter: you can see over my shoulder. yes, hoda, people waited until the last minute to do shopping, hoda. 40% of the nation, twamactually, did not start until ten days before christmas, and then, hoda, those who did not shop, 17%, until the week leading up to christmas, and so there are many last

there's going to be an increase in sales about, oh, 3.7% up, so the total sales for the holiday season are expected to be 630.5 billion dollars or, hoda, more depending on the tie you plan to get me for christmas. >> oh, i feel like he's trying to personalize that news for me. more on last minute gifts and where to find them in the next half hour. >> let's turn to politics now. donald trump closing out the year with a bang with fireworks between him and hillary clinton to the lead in the national poll. numbers out as ted cruz fund raises off the cartoon controversy with the "washington post," we are in washington, good morning to you. >> reporter: call it an early christmas present for donald trump, yet another poll showing a commanding lead in the republican race telling hillary clinton to be careful about accusations of sexism.

trump now making clear this week's attacks on hillary clinton are just the beginning. >> i really haven't gone after hillary clinton yet, and there's a lot to go after. she is very susceptible, i think, look, the job she's done is horrible. >> reporter: unphased and unafraid to take on trump. >> bigotry, bluster, bullying has become his campaign. >> reporter: the front runners still feuding. >> the last person that she wants to be running against is me. >> reporter: as trump dominates a new national poll with double digit leads on key issues like the economy, isis, and illegal immigration, and more than twice as much support as the next closest candidate, ted cruz, seizing on a controversy of his own. he's fundraising off an editorial cartoon, not retracted by the "washington post" showing his young daughters as dancing monkeys. fair game, arguing the cartoonist after he put kids in the campaign ad. >> i'll use my own, and no one

>> if the media wants to attack and ridicule every republican, that's what they are going to do, but leave our kids out of it. >> reporter: cruz solidifyies second place, ben carson's support is slipping, and new reports of a campaign shakeup, carson telling nbc news, he's streamlining staff assignments, but insisting senior aids will stick around, and so will he. >> i'm not a quitter by any stretch is of the imagination. >> reporter: the next few days, all quiet on the trail as candidates take a break, jeb bush last minute shopping and considering what holiday cards he still might send. >> what did you send to trump? what would the card say? >> this time of year? i hope he has a wonderful time off. >> reporter: that's time off that ends next week. trump will be hitting all three early states within three days, new hampshire monday, iowa tuesday, and south carolina on wednesday. then after new year's, guys, for

first votes in february. >> yeah. fast approaching. thank you very much. >> speaking of trump, his proposal to ban muslims from entering the u.s. no doubt sparked outrage, but now some as pecks of the plan have come to fruition as the british-muslim family claims u.s. officials prevented them from flying to disney land for a planned dream vacation. story. good morning, kelly. >> reporter: good morning, hoda. this was to be the trip of a lifetime for the family. they have relatives in california, and as soon as their visas were approved, they splashed out on flights for 11 of them, only to be turned away at the gate. happiest place at christmas time, a child's dream ending in tears for the family. the family were ready to fly from london to los angeles and disney land last week.

passes in hand when they were told their visas approved six weeks ago were suddenly revoked. >> feel, like, really heart broken, tears in the eyes. something for them, they were planning this for month. they had the countdown on their phone for the last month. >> reporter: coming in the wake of san bernardino shootings and this from donald trump. >> donald j. trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of muslims entering the united states. >> reporter: customs and border protect would not comment on the case saying religion, faith, or spiritual believes of an international traveler are not determining factors about his/her admissibility into the u.s., and under the law, there's muppet. muppet multiple reasons for denying entry. the gym owner says the family spend $16,000, saving for months for the flights.

i'm a law-abiding citizen and treat everyone equal. why me and my family? >> reporter: his children are still dreaming of a disney christmas. >> he wants to know why he was denied entry in hopes of fixing the problem and rescheduling the trip, and other british-muslims have similar stories, including a u.s. business visa. he says he was turned away at the gate last week, matt and hoda, again, with no explanation explanation. >> kelly in london, thank you very much. i want to talk about the chaos in and around mipgsnneapolis on wednesday. chaos in and around wednesday, a black lives matters activist said testifies a decoy that quickly moved to the airport. hundreds briefly gathered inside the nation's largest shopping mall before abruptly walking out. about 80 stores were chosed for an hour as officers escorted the remaining protesters off that

some of the protesters then when to the the minneapolis st. paul airport. they blocked access to a terminal t. protesters were trying to draw attention to recent police shootings of jamal clark, a black man. >> the woman accused of intentionally driving her car into a crowd of pedestrians on the vegas strip sunday night faced a judge for the first time. 24-year-old lakeisha holloway was arraigned for murder and her three-year-old daughter was in the car when she barrelled through the crowd, killing one, injuring dozens of others. hollowayid not enter a plea. she will be back in court next month. the chipotle restaurant where 100 people were sickened with the neurosooirs is scheduled to be reopened today. it's been closed since december 7th, but it passed inspection on wednesday, meantime the restaurant chain says it's

methods in an effort to address food safety concerns, stemming from a separate e. coli outbreak in eight states. one will dip fresh ingredients into boiling water to disple concerns. hyatt hotel says it found malware on the computer systems that process payments. that means hackers may have obtained data information. it is only properties owned by high west virginia they have taken steps to increase security. >> incredible video to show you, shows a sight seeing helicopter crash as it's trying to land. this happens on figi's treasure island, where seven people were on board that helicopter. the chopper lands, then it gets slammed by a sudden gust of wind and lunges forward right at some tourists standing nearby. the helicopter crashed into a couple of trees.

amazingly, nobody got hurt. >> oh my gosh. >> yeah, crazy. >> no white christmas up and down the east coast, for sure. temperatures are way too warm. we are going to crush records seven. we do still have a tornado watch fear atlanta until 10:00 this morning, we're not looking at yesterday. it is going to slow things down airport. eastward. chicago in the mid-foertsz today. you might see a few snowflakes in eastern nebraska and iowa. out in the west, they're looking for another storm to make it in off the pacific, up and down the west coast, mountain snow. we could see two feet of snow in the sierras. that will make its way into the rockies as we head through the holidays. that's the weather across the country.

in just 30 seconds. >> that's your latest forecast.

some hourists s isttourists in hawaii got more than a breathtaking view during a hike earlier this week. >> you're awesome. >> merry christmas. >> merry christmas. >> that's right, president obama, some of his family and a few friends also took on the cocoa head trail, crater trail. a popular and grueling hike on the island of oahu. >> what's the name of the trail? >> the cocoa head crater trail. a lot of selfies as the president and his entourage were on the trail. can you imagine how crazy that would have been, just hanging out there and, hello! states. >> might have been the tip-off when the entire secret service comes up first. coming up, a popular republican governor now under fire after a 911 call turns a staff holiday party into a

listen up you procrastinate procrastinators procrastinators. gifts you can buy today that don't look last-minute.

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without giving up rich flavor do what we do...make it progresso. lots of gifts at prices low for everyone this season find thousand of rollbacks, like a star wars legendary yoda for just $99. i'm crowning you the shopping queen! share the wonder every day. walmart. happy holidays your majesty. dunkin' donuts k-cups are available here at the grocery store. and people seem to be really excited about it. like, really excited. have a good one. new dunkin' donuts k-cup pods are here,

tom: kim and dana wagner have the holiday off, i am filling in for them. today is mike's life eight. he is taking a bite out of they have now been -- the first ca to las vegas in 2010. 2011, he first saw the papers on breaking and changed how the metro engages suspects. he also oversaw his most recent expose into itself and answering the mystery of who bought the r.j.. visit the pardon was mutual. let's check your christmas eve weather with kelly. kelly: temperatures are not too bad, especially when you see the seven-day forecast for the coming days. right now, north las vegas at 42 degrees. green valley at 44. today's high, 57 degrees. we are looking at partly sunny skies with a chance of

the better chances for everyone to see mt. rainier valley snow overnight. then, we look at the colts if it is moving in. 45 and breezy saturday. tom: a little trouble on the roadway. it is northbound on i-15 just approaching russell. a couple of flashing lights, they are clearing that up as we speak. the spaghetti bowl, nothing wrong there. we expect lighter traffic than usual. looking good on the roadways. coming up today at noon, they have combined their show business and making. they are better known as show boy cake. they will be in the studio today with their holiday special.

it is 70 -- i was going to

73 in midtown, manhattan today. people gathered around that christmas tree will be in short sleeves, unbelievable. we've already broken record on this christmas eve morning, 7:30 now on thursday morning, december 24, and a great crowd of people outside. joining us this morning. >> we are anxious to be outside, no coats, just enjoy it. >> 64 right now. >> wow, amazing. here's stories making news right now, deadly storms slamming the south in an unseasonal tornado outbreak. among the dead, a 7-year-old boy in mississippi with more than a dozen missing. more on this in a minute. the weather is snarling holiday travel. more than 5,000 delays in airports across the country on wednesday jeopardizing family time for the record number of americans expected to be traveling this year. the grounded flights now have airlines trying to play catchup. and donald trump leading a new national poll by a landslide this morning as his closest

takes on the "washington post" for a cartoon depicting his children as monkeys. the texas senator launching an emergency appeal to raise $1 million in 24 hours in response to the cartoon. we begin the half hour with the deadly line of storms that pummelled the south. more than a dozen tornados reported in mississippi alone. mike seidel is in holely springs, mississippi with the latest. >> reporter: more than a dozen twisters tore across the area wednesday, a long track nor doe in holly springs, blowing out the bark brick wall of the home. you see blue sky, the roof, ceiling gone into the woods. time, brother and sister, heard the symptom coming, and ran for cover, down the hallway into the bathroom, into the bathtub, likely saving their lives. i talked to the brother, and he

came out and saw the destruction and the damage. we spin around and look out to the front towards highway 7, and all you see is daylight. at least five people were killed yesterday in mississippi. hoda, matt, back to you. >> all right, mike seidel, mike, thanks so much. >> dylan in for al. what's the system doing next? >> moving southeast, but not as severe as what we saw yesterday. we ended up seeing some of the long trek tornados because of the warm humid airstreaming in from the gulf of mexico. this is more of a springtime setup than what you'd see now that we're in the beginning of winter. temperatures will be about 30 degrees above average for highs today. we talked about the warmup we expect today and records to be broken. again, in new york city, we broke the old record of 63. washington, d.c., the record is 66 degrees set back in 1982. we forecast a high of 73 today. boston, of all places, should hit 70 this afternoon with the record at 61.

topping out in the mid-70s. tomorrow, cooler, but still breaking records in the eastern and southeastern part of the country. new york city, the record on christmas day is 63. we are forecasting 65. portland, mienzaine, 55 degrees. the old record is 53. saturday, looking to break highs down the golf course and tampa up to 86 degrees. those traveling across the country, today, again, trouble spots in the mountain passes and pacific northwestnorthwest. we have showers and thunderstorms moving through atlanta right now, so if you have flights that connect you through atlanta, check for delays there. rain in the northeast lasts mainly through this morning and see improvements throughout the afternoon and skies clear. christmas day, spotty shower, nothing severe or heavy, but very unsettled through the mid atlantic in the tennessee and

see more sthoenow in the rockies >> that's your latest >> and that's your latest forecast. >> thank you very much, the governor of new mexico, anna martinez, a rising star in the republican party. this morning, she's facing backlash after a routy hotel holiday party turned into a confrontation with police. nbc's blake mccoy has that story. >> reporter: new mexico's

her holiday staff party that has her integrity under attack. workers at the hotel in santa fe say the party two weeks ago carried over into a hotel room. guests complained. >> they've been warned already, and they are still not quieting down. >> reporter: that was the 911 call from the hotel's front desk. then dispatch got another call. >> hi, this is governor susana martinez. >> calling police dispatch personally demanding to know which hotel guest complained and asking officers to be called off.th3 c3 pero no puede decirmelo a mi. >> reporter: an initial apology was made. i should have never talked the way i did, and i own it. >> but since new issue, raising

drink and a half. the officer is heard on the recording saying she seems inebriated. in the tape, she seems to refute her own public denials that bottles had been thrown from a hotel bilk nyalcony. >> there were bottles being thrown, get out, and stop. >> reporter: the office clarified it was snowballs, no bottles thrown, no glass was found. there's further evidence the popular republican governor can't be trusted. a holiday party that's turned into a political hangover. for "today," blake mccoy, nbc news. >> oftentimes holiday parties go wrong. >> yes, they do. >> they really do. be careful. coming up, move over rudolph. technology guiding santa's sleigh in the future. >> check that out. you'll have it in the bag where you can find thoughtful, last

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7:41. we are about to come to the rescue of all of you pro procrastinateors out there. >> nbc business and tech correspondent olivia stearns is here with how you can make sure santa delivers in time for christmas. it is christmas eve, and you're saying it is possible, right? >> it is possible. you're running out of time but there's hope. some stores are open now and

get out of bed and see what time stores are closing. a lot of the stores have been open 24/7, but they'll close at 6:00 p.m. walmart, often 24/7, closes at 8:00 p.m. toys "r" us, open until 9:00, a lot of the hot toys are sold out. >>accommodateing people with late-minute shopping or to he get up sales? >> for people waiting until the last-minute. >> i would have thought, if you're ordering online, it is christmas. >> it's too late to get it shipped but there are new apps delivery. amazon prime is offering one-hour delivery. >> how much does that cost? >> $8. >> we did it from the set. we ordered it at 10:00, and it

it was not rigged up. >> give me one more minute. i might have a surprise for you. google express also has special delivery elves. etsy asap, you can get an artisan gift within one hour in your own state. uber rush has a selection of gifts they'll deliver to your door. >> if you're not signed up for these, you can go online to a store site and go in and pick it up, right? >> this is a great option if you're not in a major city. walmart and target are pushing to do the same-day pickup. >> it's not delivery. it should say pickup. >> if you don't want to drag your kids in the store, it's a time saver. there are tons around the country. >> what about last-minute ideas? >> if it's midnight, you think you're out of options, still not somebody a gift card. gift cards are the number one most popular gift in america. also consider gift of the month clubs.

household. it's a winner. >> do people get an e-mail, telling them they've been given the gift? >> exactly. at 6:00 a.m., you can still order it. >> what's special experiences? >> check out cloud 9 living.com. you can do a wine tasting. you can even give somebody race car driving lessons or experience in a hot air balloon. >> i wanted to try out amazon prime. i did find you something, hoda. a nice delivery man named angel, my christmas angel, delivered this to us within 40 minutes. this is your present. >> what is it? >> matt, this is for you. >> olivia, thank you so much. can we open them? >> yes, please. >> what is this? a big mouth of -- oh, my gosh!

>> i got new york yankees ode to smell like the locker room. this is great. coming up, what has this woman so excited? we're going to reveal her ultimate christmas surprise. we have the best of elf on a shelf pictures. we're going to have all that when we come back. the snow is starting to fall and our loved ones are gathered all around, so share that extra joy in your heart

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favorite photographs sent in by viewers. >> love it. >> that was posted on buzzfeed. here's the "voice." does that make the elf on the shelf carson standing there? okay, carson there. merry christmas, carson, buddy. this is too bad. from the bourne police department. elf on the shelf. donald trump, make christmas great again 2016. now things get creepy. this, i have to tell you, when i first opened it this morning, horrified me. that's a father on the top of his refrigerator dressed as an elf. keeping an eye on -- >> he needs to come down. >> immediately. >> awe! >> how adorable is this guy? this was posted -- if you're worried about how he's perched on the mantle, as i was, i'm told the father is a

perhaps cut and pasted his son in different places around the house. here's our last one. this is a good way to end the year. sending the poor elf on a shelf home. elsa freezing the elf on the shelf. >> dylan said, i think i see a shadow of the elf. >> i think the father is right below the camera lens. >> i think dylan cracked this one. >> she might have, yeah. >> that's a shallow mantle. i'm a little worried about it. >> willie, thank you. appreciate it. coming up, mr. manners is back this morning, showing us how to gracefully navigate awkward party moments. be honest, you all have them over the holidays. first, your local news and weather. this just in. the final countdown to christmas is here. wait what? gary, is this teleprompter right? sweet molasses!

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it makes a lot of other cards seem one-sided. when cigarette cravings hit, all i can think about is getting relief. only nicorette mini has a patented fast-dissolving formula. it starts to relieve sudden cravings fast. i never know when i'll need relief. that's why i only choose nicorette mini. to the used car buyer who's worried about getting taken for a ride... don't worry. the only rides you'll get taken on at carmax are the ones you take yourself. but just in case that absolutely 100 percent perfect choice... ...turns out to be... less than perfect... we give you five days to change your mind. sorry. no way. savor breakfast any time you like.

mcdonald's all day breakfast menu. the holidays are here. don't forget you can order on target.com and pick up in store the same day. i ordered this today. it's for you. boop! barbie! a new tie! shop target.com by 6pm. pick up today. tom: good christmas eve morning to you, give dana wagner happy holiday off. whether the holiday traditions of the year is a secret santa

gift they do not know who it is from. google searched the most popular gift. what do people in nevada left to give almost? free slippers. popular gives include beadles pajamas and tamagotchi pets. kelly: i am sure i probably did 20 years ago. dry conditions at the las vegas valley, but we are tracking rain and snow. keep that in mind if you are traveling along the 15 today. there could be slick spots on the roadway. we are expecting dry conditions and a few clouds. temperatures today, 57 degrees and freezing in the afternoon with a chance of rain and overnight. moving in.

tom: it has been pretty good on the roadways. the spaghetti bowl has lighter traffic than usual. one more outside view, that would take us to i-15 and flamingo, this should not be too much. we certainly hope you enjoy time with family and friends this christmas. when you wake up with the wagners monday morning, we have a story to make a wish for. we will introduce you to alexis lexus who is battling an

we will share her a better watch out, better not cry it's 8:00 on "today."

from the gifts to the guests to the festive it is. we have the keys to make your christmas countdown stress free. >> oh! best surprise ever, a holiday stunner that has one woman overjoyed. her family pulled off one amazing gift. who is rocking around the white house christmas tree? the obamas and bidens pick their favorite tunes. we'll tell you what's on their holiday playlist, today, thursday, december 24th, christmas eve, 2015. >> merry christmas eve from georgia! >> merry christmas from seattle! >> i came with my family at 2:00 a.m. to meet matt lauer. >> merry christmas to my husband. >> my dad. >> serving in turkey from

>> merry christmas, charlotte, north carolina. >> baby's first christmas in new york city. hi, grandma! >> it's just after 8:00. it is december 24th. it's christmas eve. it's 70 degrees in new york city. look, people are wearing -- >> i can't believe it. amazing. >> first time ever, i don't have goose goosebumps. >> hoosiers here? >> these are my other favorite group here. they know how to deck it out. coming up, feast your eyes on this. cooking for a crowd. we're out on the plaza because it's nice and warm. we'll enjoy the temperatures. chef guarnaschelli will show us, it's not too late to come up

>> some people in the country say, we cook out for christmas all the time. it's unusual here though. let's get a check of the top stories of the morning. tamron is filling in for natalie, who is on vacation. >> good morning, everyone. it is a grim christmas eve in parts of the south, where rare december tornadoes caused death and widespread damage. mark potter is in clarksdale, mississippi. good morning. >> good morning, tamron. behind me is one of the houses struck by a tornado. as you can see, the roof has collapsed. the house is moved off its foundation by about five feet. as a sheriff tells us, the people who live there are okay, safe, but had to spend the night in a shelter in clarksdale, mississippi. the storm system yesterday spawned dozens of tornadoes in several states, causing widespread damage. we are able to confirm at least seven people were killed, four of them here in mississippi. two in tennessee and one in arkansas.

and the authorities are going out today to see if they can locate them, or to determine if there are even more victims from this storm. that's always a grim task, but especially during the holidays. tamron? >> mark, thank you. while the weather is a matter of life and death for many, it has left others stranded at airports, worried about missing their family reunions. rain and fog still causing flight delays at major airports across the country. the busy travel hub of atlanta, only 1/3 of flights were on the time wednesday. a southwest airlines flight made an emergency landing on wednesday after the pilot noticed a problem with the landing gear. the plane had 139 passengers on board and left oakland on a flight to chicago. once the pilot decided to turn back, he had to circle for hours to burn off excess fuel. one passenger said people were crying, holding hands and texting loved ones.

the plane landed safely. the florida man arrested for landing his gyro near the white house wants a seat inside. his attorney asked a judge to lift travel restrictions so he can travel around florida to campaign. hughes faces up to ten months in prison. he says the gyrocopter was a reform. thursday. that's hoda applauding. the day before christmas is crucial for retailers trying to lure shoppers and unload winter inventory, with drastic price cuts. tonight. there's a need for it. 17% of americans did not even start their holiday shopping until last week. a performer with a big part tried to steal the show during a

dallas church, while the story of the first christmas was being acted out. a feisty goat, not al roker's goat, hopped into the manager. the actors were trying to hide their amusement. the role of the infant jesus was not played by an actual baby. the goat theme has taken over america after rokerthon2. they keep it going. >> a lot of goats on this show this year. tamron, ready for this? round two of our hassle-free holiday etiquette course. look who is back. >> back by popular demand. more pesky personalities you may encounter this holiday. we all play different roles at the party. i happen to be critical karla. karla is the one, when you give her a gift, she complains about it, the food isn't that good, it's dry.

someone at the party like karla? >> sure. we have to realize, not every gift is going to be knocked out of the park. >> correct. >> there will be some that are misses. maybe it's yankees ode to toilet toilet, right? the key is a gift receipt. realize, it's not you, it's the person. take them aside, have a gentle word. don't let them destroy everyone else's fun, while they're complaining. >> at my house, that person is called, don't let the screen door hit you on the way out. so you have your gathering, your holiday music playing. this person comes over and is determined to plug his playlist into your sound system. we call him dj don. >> music is important to the flow of the party. you want to establish that from the get-go. the arrival music, dinner music and after-party music. i'd suggest sending out an e-mail to everyone coming and saying, we're going to play one

the party and include them in a playlist. put a teenager in charge of that. >> i am dj don. >> next up, the parent who brings their kid to your home. maybe they didn't tell you, but the kids go, as we call it in the south, buck wild. we have crazy kid kerry who allows the kid to do anything. what do you do? >> you don't want to be the one that has to intervene with someone else's child. it never goes well. if you have children of your own, deputize your children to be the ones to take them outside on this lovely weather we have, for example. children. you handle that, kid. >> formal ceremony. >> in this way, you're allowing them to model the good behavior well. >> if it gets extreme, i'll anything? >> if there is a situation of danger, you certainly want to jump in. if it's not a dangerous situation, you may want to have

this is not the way i raise my children. would you mind -- anything breakable or valuable, get it out of the way. >> i have a classic. eats a big meal, enjoys it, then parks himself on your couch for hours on end. lights out larry, passes out in your living room. >> we all have a lights out larry in our lives. i would prepare the guest room for lights out larry. >> oh, wow. >> no, then he'll stay for the whose weekend! >> get out of here, larry. >> this is usually right after drinks. everybody is feeling sleepy. otherwise, it's going to ruin the party, if you have this lump on a log on the sofa. make sure he's not in the room with all the coats so people have to disturb him. >> i didn't mean to give him car keys if he's been drinking.

the person who is always trying to maybe throw her husband under the bus, embarrassing him for the sake of a laugh for herself. embarrassment edma, what do we do? >> don't jump on the bandwagon, jump to defense. rather than laughing at the joke, make a comment that's self-deprecating to yourself. i've done the same thing. if it doesn't work, i'll raise a glass and say, tonight, we're declaring this a criticism free party. you put it out there, d it in a nice way and everyone agrees with a clink of the glass. >> one more? >> yes. >> yesterday, we talked about the person who shows up a half hour early. what about someone you call a party for 7:00 at night, and tardy tonya shows up at like 8:45. what do you do? >> this is why it's vital that you put a start and end time on your party invitation. a lot of people neglect the end time. if you know the party ends at 10:00, you shouldn't be arriving

if tardy tonya is walking in, the courses. she gets a goodie at the end of the night. you're serving one course for the people on time, not two. >> great advice. >> you're tough. means more than anything under the tree for this woman. we're going to finally show you why she's so excited. plus, the yule log spreading like wildfire. how you can enjoy the new york city tradition in your home. and fight leukemia with faith. one boy's inspir my love you shine so bright,,, the leo artisadiamond. an incredible level of brilliance -- from the creators of the leo diamond. at kay, the number one jewelry store in america. my love you shine so bright... every kiss begins with kay. it's the kay jewelers save the best for last event! with up to 30% off storewide... ...now is the time to find her the best gift at an incredible price. so hurry in... ...and save up to 30% at kay...

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we're back now, 8:14, with what's trending today. all right. now, this is hoda. okay? we've got wine in front of us, of this show. actually, this relates to our first story and something to keep in mind -- wait. >> oh, oh, oh. >> christmas gift. >> oh, thank you. put to good use. i'm ready. >> full bottle. all right. a new study from cambridge, and they're smart people so it has to be true, says be careful of large wineglasses. they trick you into drinking more. bigger glass, more drinking, not the reason. when you have a bigger glass and pour a normal side serving, it makes it look very little.

let's fill it up and keep doing it, so you drink more. has that happened to you? i know the answer. >> first of all, i think the serving size for wine is extra tiny. have you seen when they give you exactly what -- it's like nothing. >> 4 ounces? >> i don't know. i've never had one of those. here's to this one. cheers, you guys. >> i have glasses in my house from my grandmothers that are these small glasses. when i want a little bit, i pull out the small glasses. i feel like i had a full glass of wine. >> i'm going to try this. does it work? >> go, go, go. >> it worked. that'll be gone by the end of the show. >> here's a perfect throwback thursday item. columbia house sold the tapes and records through the mail on the cheap. it went bankrupt in august. now, they're staging a comeback. not by streaming music, but by selling vinyl records.

millenials love vinyl. what's old is new again. >> i just bought a new turntable and i've been buying albums like crazy. >> do you like the sound better? >> the sound is great but there is a nostalgic feeling. i like it. >> i've given you gifts of vinyl. >> tamron got me an nwa record last year, straight out of compton in vinyl. >> i go to my dad's house. he has johnny cash on the record player. >> sounds good. >> love it. >> santa making his way around the world right now, right? >> yes. >> delivering gifts with the help of a sleigh and reindeer. check out this video. could this be the sleigh of the future? steered by robots. this video released by boston dynamic, bought by google. the robots are big dogs and they can haul more than 300 pounds of cargo. i want one of these. is that amazing?

>> that's the important thing. >> no. >> i have to ask. >> they do not have a red nose. kids used to see the robots and think they were scary, so they dressed them up at reindeer to make them child friendly. >> you've been waiting for this video. it shows a woman from franklin, indiana, getting a surprise from her son. he returned home from the holidays with a priceless gift, her new granddaughter. >> when did you get here? >> huh? >> when did you -- oh! oh, my gosh. it's a girl! >> that's eva. guess what happened? her son, donny, was stationed in hawaii with his wife. they decided to adopt a child.

in case things can't work out. so when the couple came home for christmas, they surprised eva with little melissa faith. >> that's the most beautiful story. >> it goes on and on and on. she just cries and keeps hugging her children. it's so nice. it is. happy holidays to that family. to the first family's favorite holiday songs and a boozey take on the yule log. that should be hoda doing that. >> i'm over this. >> let's start with the first family. enjoy their favorite christmas classics. the white house partnered with spotify, releasing the holiday playlists from the obama and biden families. "all i want is you." "o tannenbaum."

december destiny's child. the biden's like "santa claus is coming to town." bidens also like "this christmas by mary j. blige. "snowfall" and "wonderful christmas time." on wednesday, we congratulated tara. i had trouble pronouncing her fiance's last name. on instagram, they helped me out. >> thank you for the "today" show shoutout. little rough on the pronounce pronounceuation pronounceuationpronounce pronounceuationpronounce pronunciation pronunciation. >> how did you say it? >> i can't even remember.

nick nick offerman has a video that includes a yule log, but also includes nick offerman sitting by the yule log, drinking bourbon and staring at the camera for 45 minutes. it's all he does. he doesn't talk. he doesn't sing. he just stares at the camera, occasionally sipping his whiskey. if you don't want to keep replaying it every 45 minutes, good news, there's a looped version that lasts ten hours. ten hours. that is your pop start. i love nick offerman. >> a lot of people doing the yule log thing. the property brothers do it where they just sit next to it. >> people watch it. >> dylan, how about a check of the weather? >> it's going to be a warm christmas if you haven't heard. we've been talking about this all week. we are looking at all of our snow out west. a white christmas. you have to go up into the mountains.

out through most of the pacific northwest, we're seeing snow in the higher elevations, from washington state to oregon and down through the sierra, where we could end up with one to two feet of snow. this area of low pressure will move east ward into the rockies as we get into friday and then into saturday, as well. we are looking for rain in the valleys and the snow will be heaviest in the mountains. we could see gusts in california, near 60 miles per hour.

through the sierra, another >> that's your latest forecast. >> dylan, thanks. more of our special series, do you believe, with a story of faith and hope just in time for christmas. >> in 2012, we introduced you to a boy who had undergone four bone marrow transplants battling leukemia. he's come a long way. here's gabe gutierrez. >> five things i'd like to accomplish before i'm 25. >> reporter: just a few years ago, this camp assignment would have been the most unlikely of to do lists. >> graduate college. graduate high school. >> reporter: today, they are the possibility that 13-year-old brennan dreams of. >> you always have to have hope. no matter what you do, you always have to have it. >> reporter: this february, brennan will have been in remission for five years.

opportunity to live. >> reporter: for his parents, it's been a long journey, chronicled in turner's new book "possibility "possibilities." >>e had to believe in the possible in the face of the impossible. >> faith was essential for us. it gave us an opportunity to test that faith and to ask the really big questions. >> reporter: brennan was diagnosed with aml, a severe form of leukemia, on his 7th birthday. incredibly, he underwent four months. before the final one, the prognosis was gr. his parents asked him whether he wanted to try another time. >> why did you say yes? >> i didn't want to give up. >> reporter: the second of three golf playing brothers, brennan is a competitor. his fighting spirit made him a

jude's research hospital, which his parents credit for his successful treatment. >> do you believe in hope? >> i do believe in hope. there's something that we need to believe in on our darkest day, that there is something better. >> reporter: these days, that something better is brennan well enough to compete with his brothers at video games. spending his first full year back at school. he hasn't yet read his dad's new book, but he says he plans to. >> do you think you're a strong guy? >> i guess so. >> reporter: his parents now see hope as not just about the future, but the present. >> hope is future oriented. we need that. we can't forget what we have in the present moment. >> the present is the essential part. it's the only thing we have. the only thing i control is what i do right this minute. >> reporter: a new perspective, thanks to a young boy. >> two potential career ideas. medic in the army or help with my dad's company.

is possible. for account"today," gabe gutierrez, nbc news. >> perfect story for today. >> another reason to remember the folks at st. jude's children's research hospital. gives us amazing work every day of the year. >> so happy for the family. coming up, we're getting wrapped up ntdin the christmas spirit. ingenious ways to present your presents. first, your local news. tom: good christmas eve morning to you, kim and dana wagner had the day off. the biggest solar provider in

solar city announced that they are ceasing all sales for rooftop panels in our state after -- state regulators. tuesday, they voted unanimously to increase the monthly charge to solar customers and reduce the net metering credit those customers receive by providing less electricity back into the power grid. those new rates have yet to be determined, but they will be five years. let's check how they lay weather with kelly. kelly: we are looking at temperatures climbing nicely, close to average today. spring valley 47 degrees in downtown as well. this is warmer and what we are weekend. let's enjoy it while we have it. quite conditions at partly sunny skies, but the wind picks up this afternoon ahd even more during the overnight with a

parts of lincoln county. 48 degrees is the high 45 on saturday. tom: im giving the good news on the roadways as large traffic. by the airport, it looks good at russell road and the strip out. the freeways are in good state. over to the spaghetti bowl interchange, and down 95 between valley view and rancho, not much to worry about. no accidents at the moment. coming up and in today, they have combined their passion of show business and making, better known as show boy cake.

we're back now. 8:30 on a thursday morning. yes, it is christmas eve 2015. just take a second to see all the nice people who traveled to new york city to be here for the holidays and thank them for stopping by and spending part of their holiday with us. now, we can complain about just about everything, and we were actually saying, it's a little muggy, a second ago. >> thankful though. >> not good for the hair, but we're all right. >> the snow is worse. >> weather sensitive hair. coming up, a yuletide video you'll love. chef guarnaschelli is whipping up recipes to share with your family this christmas. when it comes to gift giving shopping, it's only half the battle. we have you covered with

i tried to wrap a jurassic park dinosaur two days now. >> we are gift wrapping hoda. >> hang out there. that's right, in control now, everything good? >> yeah. dylan, how about a check of the weather? >> it's too muggy for you, but it's -- >> this guy said, whoa, merry christmas! records. in new york. we'll break it up in boston. we'll break it down in d.c., too, with pptemperatures in the 70s. we are going to see clouds and scattered showers, stronger storms moving through atlanta. in the pacific northwest, more rain and mountain snow. into christmas day, the snow is going to move over into the rockies. the rain will still fall in the northeast and down through the southeast, stretching down to texas, too. nothing too e-vuheavy. still looking at record breaking temperatures.

>> that's your latest forecast. >> dylan, thank you very much. americans, very likely to open their wallets during the month of december. >> for some retailers, it's an opportunity to stand out by taking holiday shopping to the next level. today, sheinelle jones has that story. >> yes. the more you linger, the more you'll buy, at least that's what companies are hoping. experiential shopping, it's called, and some say, it's the future of retail.

to be generous this holiday season, so are some retailers. >> it's having that immersive opportunity to say, i like their product. now, i want to like your brand. seeing is believing. smelling is loving. >> reporter: it's called experiential shopping, and companies like origins are making large investments in research and design to find new ways of engaging their customers. making shopping interactive and tactile, with unlimited samples, facials and hand treatment. >> does it make a difference when it comes to sales? >> absolutely. when a customer comes into an origin store, we know if she sits in a chair, she'll spend nearly 40% more than if she doesn't have the experience. >> reporter: americans will spend more than $50 billion on holiday shopping this year. 90% are expected to make purchases online. big incentives for stores like urban outfitters to follow suit, and get customers off the internet and into the store. walk into new york city's herald

a hair salon, full service cafe and photo booth. displays encourage shoppers to touch, test and tweet. according to the boston consulting group, 72% of millenials say they'd rather spend money on experience versus product. give them both, and sales figures show it's a winning combination. on chicago's magnificent mile, the moto shop is doing just that. >> the store is meant to be very experiential. you can feel the material backs on your phone. at the watch station, you can try on different bands, see what you like the best. >> reporter: customers can grab a free cookie on their way to test out the world's first shatter proof smartphone. >> this is almost therapeutic. >> here, you're getting a personalized touch service. i like the concept. >> in the store, it's like, wow. >> it's definitely experiential. i've never been in a store like this. >> reporter: stores are hoping to capture the holiday spirits

experience at a time. >> this shopping is likely to last well beyond the holidays. we're entering a trend where people want to slow down. they want more from their shopping experience. guys? >> i think if you have time, i like the idea, to get the makeup on and the massage, i is awesome. when you're in sprint mode, the last thing you want to do is experience. you want to buy, buy, buy. >> except at the airport. if you get to the gate and you have 45 minutes to sit there and wait, it's nice to have a choice of things to do and better restaurants, too, which we were talking about. >> airports are like malls now. linger around. >> right. >> sheinelle, thank you again. up next, it's the most aggravating time of the year? >> oh, come on! let's be positive. relieve family stress this

first, this is "today" on nba. back now at 8:38 with how to cope with family stress.

of the year can also be the most challenging, according to a today.com survey. 78% of you say you feel stress during the holidays, and 68% of you say family gatherings are the things that cause the stress. that's depressing. today.com contributor, dr. g is here with how to survive in all of this. we'll stay optimistic and positive. >> we're going to survive and thrive. >> sometimes when you get together with family, there are tense moments. is there a way to troubleshoot it before it actually happens? >> there are. if you can plan ahead, probably you know who the trouble person is going to be. >> yeah, you already know. >> you have to recruit some of the saner guests beforehand and say, if great uncle joe goes off the rails, i'm counting on you

make a destraction or something. hey, uncle joe, we're practicing kindness. >> are there times you should tough it out and go, it happens once a year. it's what's going to happen. let's ride it out. >> if you know nothing would -- no policy would make this man back off, then try distractions. ask about a story he's told that you love, or compliment him about something. or if it comes to it, have one of the kids read their entire thanksgiving recital, and maybe he'll be bored and move on. >> there's craziness with parties and we often forget our spouse. you have to pay attention to them. >> it leaves you stressed and less grounded. the best way to be connected to your partner is make time to make out. even in the kitchen. >> make out. >> but if you can't make out because of some of the people around or something, iff you don't find the time, laughter bonds us to people. it improves our connection.

even at the same party, send them a funny text and laugh. >> you can tell a connected couple, how much they touch and look at each other. >> meet each other's eyes. >> let's talk about kids and presents. kids have these huge expectations. they want x, y or z. sometimes, you want to teach the lesson, you're not going to get every single thing you want. when you get a gift, there's only one right answer. thank you, right? >> doesn't matter who gave you anything. if you want your kids to be grateful for what they got, you can say, hey, listen, if you're grateful about the gifts you get, i will tell you with returns and exchanges later. but being grateful, being thankful means being specific. when you get a gift, go up to the person who gave it to you, like get up, go to the person, look them in the eye, because that's how adults feel valued and respected, and then find something about the gift to say thank you for. if you don't love the gift, you can say, hey, i do love art. thank you. or thanks for being my grandma.

>> exactly. >> kids should be like that year round. shouldn't just be on christmas. kids, remember. >> this is an opportunity for us to teach the lesson we want them to have all year, when they're really motivated to do what we want. >> we have a couple viewers who asked questions and need help, dr. g. here's the first one. husband -- her husband and she have been divorced parents. they live in three different states, trying to see four sets of parents. they're stressed, driving all over. what should they do? >> that's not reasonable. four sets of parents in a short holiday season. it's a lovely idea, but this year, while you're doing it, while you're going and trying to see everyone, claim a new policy. for next year, we'd like to have a longer more relaxed, more meaningful visit once every few years. then take a tip from military families. when you can't be with them in real life, skype or facetime. >> dr. g, thank you so much. you can find her guide for dealing with holiday stress at today.com. up next, one man's toilet

box. okay. unique gift wrapping solutions without leaving your home.

it's 8:44. we're back with creative gift wrapping ideas. get this, you won't even have to leave your house to find the supplies to do it. today.com contributor anna is here. happy holidays and merry christmas. this is great, last-minute. >> sure. >> give me three great tips for wrapping. >> the first is look for paper, any paper. you can turn birthday paper inside out and it's white and you have gift wrap. do a brown paper bag. even a subway map will do. the second one, look for inspiration all around you. grab the pine cone, grab a piece of the christmas tree. thirdly, to look thoughtful and intentional, keep it in the same color family, so it looks thoughtful. >> doesn't look like you slapped it together.

you used beautiful, single colored paper. >> exactly. >> what are these cookie cutters for? >> this is cutting corners. at the last second, this is what we resort to. basically, you look for scrap paper. maybe you don't have some, but maybe your kids have some. you don't have to double wrap your gift. put it on the topside of your gift. we're going to get to work here. >> use this. >> okay. >> what you want to do is half of a silhouette of whatever christmas themed, you know, cutout you can think of. go half way. i'm going to free hand here a christmas tree. >> go lightly on this, right? >> exactly. you just want to score the very top so you don't get the contrast paper underneath. then what happens is, when you fold it back -- fold it halfway to reveal the contrast paper. all of a sudden -- you have a surprise down there for you. getting there.

>> look at that. >> perfect. great idea. of time. >> looks like a professional did it. >> hoda said one man's toilet paper roll is another man's gift wrapping. what do you do? >> if you're feeling flushed and flusters --ed -- >> cute. rolls. you can do this with paint or markers. you can do any design. i am bob rossing this. >> you make the cabin as big as you want to make it. i love him. >> i love him, too. >> perfect. now, all you do is, with one that isn't wet, flatten it slightly. then you're going to push the edges in, almost like a half-moon. >> both sides or just leave the other side open for now? >> right.

put some crinkle paper. this is great for jewelry. it's a high-low, right? this. >> ribbons and strings. >> can't tell. >> what's this one? >> now, everyone has duct tape or painters tape. head over to your tool kit or head over to your garage. you can always just use duct tape as is, but we're going to next level this thing. all you're going to do is use a craft knife to score either semicircles around -- oops -- semicircles around the duct tape, leading with the edge. you can start on this one. >> pull it out gently. >> gently. >> i have a chevron. >> just put it down. >> exactly. put it on your gift. it looks like you tried. >> i'm going to pretend i've cut this off. there's no knife on that. >> this one here?

here you go. >> there. >> then, you place it right on top of your gift. >> i messed up the end. for example, you can do it at an angle. nice. time for another quick one. >> head over to your kitchen pantry. you can do accents, really beautifully, just with cup cake linings. you need about seven or eight. what you want to do is loosely restack them. >> they separate a little bit. >> right. then score the bottom. you feed a pipe cleaner through it. we did it with that one. then all you do is start to fluff. pull everybody inthing inward, one liner at a time. all of a sudden, it looks like a flower. >> great. these are great ideas. happy holidays. merry christmas to you. >> happy holidays. >> for all these instrubsctions

wrapping ideas, head to today.com/style. next up, a quick fix for your christmas dinner as we cook outside for a big crowd.

it's beginning to look a lot like christmas this morning on today food, we are cooking for a christmas crowd. we're out here on christmas've on

chef alex guarnaschelli is here. good morning. >> good morning. >> we have our testers at the ready. >> this is serious business. i love it. >> we're talking salmon, but let's go over the ingredients so we know what people need to have. what do we need? >> this is all you need for a great dish for a crowd. i've got spinach, crushed with lemon, butter, bread crumbs. >> hold on to the spinach! >> garlic, olive oil and chili pepper flakes. salmon? >> wild salmon is the best. it has the wild flavor, omega 3s, great for a crowd. >> you leave the skin on on the bottomsome. >> i do. >> you can season it. >> i'd love to. >> we start with salt and build this little crust here. >> now, are there bread crumbs in there? is that what's going on? >> totally.

you can also do this with nuts instead of bread crumbs, if you'd like. >> okay. >> you can substitute and leave the bread crumbs -- >> almonds work well, right? >> i like them the best. >> as we're cooking, gang, how are the eats down there? >> really good. >> i've had a bite of everything. it's delicious. >> loving it. >> we take this and we'll put it in the oven? >> at 350. cook until it cooks through. 15 to 20 minutes. >> sometimes i worry about salmon. if it's overcooked, it's yucky and dry. >> when you have a crowd, a big filet, it stays juicier, you have a bigger forgive moment. the salmon says, i'll behave today. >> is that what it says? >> i think so. >> we'll saute spinach. baby spinach, all kinds. what do you like? >> i like the babe siy spinach

>> you like a little sizzle? >> of course. >> this is a trick. i have a piece of garlic on a fork. >> yes. >> what's the trick? >> so you press the garlic lightly, but leave it whole and stir. >> use it as -- >> your flavor wand for the holidays. >> see, matt, isn't that amazing? >> what a good idea. >> the garlic goes away and you still have the mistletoe kissing breath. just a hint of garlic. >> you like lemon on there, too. >> i do. i have the salmon, which slides off the tray, with or without the skin, if the skin happens to get in there. fresh lemon juice. >> that gives it a citrus taste. >> a little zing. i leave some of the salmon kind of a little bit on the

the salmon kind of cooks the spinach with all the heat. >> willie? >> we love the chicken, particularly. >> we haven't gotten there. >> oh, sorry. we're not there yet. and the salmon has been great, too. >> the salmon is amazing? >> yeah. >> you said the salmon. >> tell us about the chicken you have here. >> it's under a brick. chicken under the wind and under the brick. with some caramelized onions and roasted potatoes. all cooked together, super easy on a platter, family style. it never goes out of style, i think. >> you'll join them at the table? bring a fork and knife. we'll eat off their plates. we want to see what's happening here. is the salmon good? >> here. >> get after this. >> i've had this so many times. i love it. >> i think people love the accessible dishes. >> the crust, i love. >> pop of lemon. >> delicious. >> the onions are out of this world. >> thank you so much. we appreciate it.

to today.com/food. should we keep eating? >> yeah. >> i just took a bite of salmon. >> we have holiday -- you can't eat with your -- can't talk with your mouth full. simple appetizer ideas. >> this is amazing. >> i don't need appetizers now. >> can we go home with you? >> thanks. >> we'll have more after this.

tom: good christmas eve morning, kim and dana wagner have the day off. i am time filling in. the woman accused of intentionally driving her car on the streets among the street -- strip. she is going by her old name. lakeisha appeared in court yesterday. she changed her name to paradise morton in october. she is not use that main -- name. she is being held in jail and january 20. time to check your christmas eve forecast. kelly: we are watching some snap -- showers and snow showers. there is precipitation around mesquite and please keep that in mind if you are traveling north and southbound on the 15 back towards utah. there could be slick roads. there also be a chance of

today, we are dry and 57 in the valley. the valley rain and mountain snow. 48 degrees for the high temperature christmas day and 45 on saturday. tom: you certainly do not have to worry about slick roads. the traffic has been much lighter than usual some people getting up early for the holidays in school is not in session. let's take a view at the heart of the resort quarter. nothing to worry about, you did not need to allow any extra time on the way out of the door this morning. we do hope you enjoy some time with family and friends this christmas weekend. when you wake up with the wagners monday morning, we have a make-a-wish story for you. we will introduce you to alexa who was battling and aggressive brain tumor. her wish took her to hawaii's disney resort.

amazing it begins and the you know how you can make wishes come true monday morning.

we will be glad to see this morning this morning on "today's christmas. santa's on his way and we are tracking his journey.

performance by four-time grammy ward winning artist seal and how to get your christmas activities off to a merry start. all that coming up now. >> this is "today's take" with al roker, natalie morales, willie geist and tamron hall, all from studio 1a in rockefeller center. >> if you have look closely at the crowd, you can see it's a very different kind of christmas receive here in new york city and throughout large portions of the united states today, it is, according to my phone, which is never wrong, 72 degrees currently at 9:00 in the morning. >> the old record is 63. we broke that midnight last -- >> 12:01 we already had a record. >> and we have a record.

the warmest christmas on record. >> a lot of people outside are saying it doesn't feel like christmas. i ran into some texans and they were saying we were hoping for a your mother. my fair is complaining. i have that 'fro-nation. but thank goodness we're all healthy. >> my family's here. >> hi, family! >> we're taking a road trip to boston. it's not a surprise that you guys are coming, right? >> not now! >> just look in the camera and say, surprise, they're coming. >> we did that in our etiquette section. >> hope everybody's getting ready, getting geared up,

we've got you covered with norad, the north american aerospace command is following santa as he makes his way around the world. this is the 70th anniversary of norad tracking santa. he's already well on his way giving gifts to boys and girls across the country. >> there's a lot of time over the pacific right now. >> but if anyone can do it, santa can. >> isn't it annoying when you're flying over the pacific and the directv went off? >> the pacific. >> any large body of water. >> we have more than 5,400 flights delayed already yesterday and we're hearing some more early morning stuff today, too. there's crazy weather across the weather. >> just to the south of atlanta, there are tornado watches, heavy rain, small storms. atlanta's such a big hub that, day. but this afternoon it starts to

>> we've been joking about the warm weather but there's some pretty serious severe weather. we've all been doing some last-ment wrapping. i understand you did creative wrapping last night. >> what does that mean, willie? >> sort artistic interpretation -- >> it wasn't meant to be. >> that's not bad. >> that's my last gift. that's the gift i did this morning. the gift inside i can't reveal. it's for my brother. >> were you at the end and like i d@n't know what to do with this? >> i started out bad -- it dinosaur. she's all about jurassic park. and i tweeted out how does one wrap that? look at that thing. that's blue. blue is the main dinosaur that

but how do you wrap blue? why wouldn't they put it in a box? >> put it in a bag. >> i don't like bags a a kids. people are like you buy two and sandwich them together. >> buy two what? >> buy two blues, two dinosaurs. no, just buy two, tamron and do it together and then you have a box. >> that sounds like the kids saying that, just buy two. >> tamron, just buy two. we're going to have some tips on how to wrap. because wrapping and then batteries. make sure you have batteries around the house. >> it's like christmas morning. when you open up the present, you can't wait to play it and we have no batteries. >> my dad, best dad in my opinion, could build anything.

i'll never forget that batteries. i think it was 9 volt. so you can't take it out of the remote control. >> i overcompensate. every time i'm at the checkout, i just grab another pack of double as. a lifetime worth of batteries. >> we're thinking getting into the christmas spirit, since it is so warm, you have the movies. what's your favorite movie? >> "love actually." this is the best part, even though he was scamming on his friend's wife, it was such a -- >> they had a connection, right? >> they did. >> that relationship wasn't going anywhere. >> it's the most beautiful christmas movie. nd you know that's rick from

>> i never made that connection. organization, my gosh oh, my gosh. the scene where the little girl chases him through the airport and comes back and smiles ootat liam neeson. >> the end of "scrooge" is mine. the little boy hasn't talked throughout the entire movie, he's sad his dad died and when he sees he's a good guy, he said "god bless everyone" and they break out and sing. >> willie, yours is -- if someone said pick one movie that

family experience of the geist, because i've been to the holiday party for the geist three times, there is within movie and it is what -- >> "christmas vacation." >> they want you to say grace. the blessing! >> grandma, let's see what you got. >> i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america. and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god with liberty and justice for all. >> the joke's already good enough and then cousin eddie

his heart. >> one of my other favorite songs. christmas vacation >> we all have a little clark w. gristwald in us. >> if al were here, he'd want to us talk about this. is "die hard" a christmas movie? >> no! >> i see nodding heads over here and over here. >> dylan's family, come by for a second. >> they're not coming. >> they are coming. woman representing. two women representing dylan's family. every person who said yes in the studio that it's a holiday film is a guy. we'll give it to dylan's family. >> have you seen "die hard?" >> i've never seen it.

>> it's around christmas time. it's a little action, but it's still the christmas spirit. >> makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside? >> that's right. >> and they haven't seen it. >> ladies, come on! >> you win in the jumper category. >> go back to the numbers, which was the point of this exercise. i don't have them in front of me. this becomes a national question, that they did a poll. public policy polling. >> the people who do the polling? >> yes. >> the numbers are -- >> 62%, right? >> what? >> say it does not qualify as a christmas film. >> do not? >> they're all wrong. >> do not. >> they're all wrong. >> bruce willis trying to save hostages trapped in an l.a. skyscraper skyscraper. that skreepcreams christmas. if they say, what are you most thankful for? i say bruce willis trying to

>> he wants some shoes, is that the theme? >> hans gruber is the grinch, the scrooge, the bad guy. so that's not the point. >> let us know what you think. the final tweet of the week. let us know. is "die hard" -- and al roker loves these hashtags -- #die hard yes #die hard no. >> do you know what's not in the holiday spirit? the weather. we have so much warmth. temperatures in the 70s, rain through the southeast. we saw the tornado watch in effect until 10:00. the storms we'll see today won't be nearly as severe as yesterday. we have a marginal risk of storms today. the biggest threat will be more higher wind gusts. if you're traveling in the

for a couple of >> i'm worried. >> why? >> two women, now three, "die hard," yes. shout out, beck. movie ever. she is. tonight. it can be a christmas tradition. it.

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ow! so you think santa will like these... red and green m&m's? i don't know! i never met the guy! whaaaaa! he does exist! they do exist! uhm... santa? feel secure in your dentures... feel free to be yourself all day. just switch from denture paste to sea-bond denture adhesive seals. holds stronger than the leading paste all day... without the ooze. feel secure. be yourself. with stronger, clean sea-bond. there are some people you should give underwear to this holiday. and there are some people you shouldn't . people you should. shouldn't. janice! should. shouldn't. yes. no. should. no way. should. no. definitely not. ha ha, nay. you shouldn't give underwear to everybody.

beautiful looking tree in rockefeller plaza. the holidays, time for celebrating with family and friends. >> also, plenty of chances for things to get a little awkward. >> to get a handle on the sticky situations s situations, we're going to play our holiday game that's going crazy across the world. ho ho ho or ho ho no. with expert -- i'm going to throw in an extra expert, i think. >> ready to do this? >> yeah. >> first question, no,ho, ho, ho, or ho, ho, no. your cousin shows up at your house with a new girlfriend whom you weren't expecting. do you take him aside and politely explain that you don't have enough food for that

>> ho, ho, no. >> yes, the answer is ho, ho, no. it's a no, you don't do that. don't put him -- etiquette is putting other people as ease. >> if you don't have enough food -- >> you still want to be a gracious host and let the person know that it's okay. never let them see you sweat. >> you can talk about them later. >> right. hem them up later. you know what? next time, you better make sure you tell me. >> be passive aggressive and be like, i have to find another chair. is there a chair somewhere? you go ahead. >> when you do this, make them feel awkward. that'll get them, right? >> aggressive wins. >> serve them right. here we go. next one, you've been given a wonderful gift from someone and you didn't bring anything for them. >> oh, no. >> i'm in that situation a lot. >> should you smile and thank them and continue with the gift exchange? ho, ho, ho, or ho, ho, no.

run? >> you have one choice here. smile and say thank you. which should you do? >> yeah. of course. >> ho, ho, ho. >> yes, you're right. >> what do you do? >> nothing. just say thank you. some think, i have to go and give them a gift or apologize. i didn't get you anything. you just smile. don't do that. >> give a heartfelt thank you. >> you failed to give me a gift. >> do that to everyone. >> take your gift and run, right, dylan? >> i said thank you. >> she was very nice about it. >> you did the proper thing. >> next one. ready? >> yeah. >> let's see, so the next one is, you see your 6-year-old nephew and his friend double dipping their karatcarrot sticks in the dip. do you remove the dip from their reach and tell the parents? >> don't tell the parents. >> no. >> ho, ho, no. >> you're all wrong.

>> here's the thing, two things. first, do you remove it from his reach? yes. but you absolutely do that. then let the parents know. they were double dipping, just let you know. >> no, no way. >> if little johnny says, aunt tamron took it away from me, you want to make sure you're covered. >> i do this. mama can't help you. >> you can say something to them, like, buddy, come on. >> let the parent know what you did. >> if you're not a stranger. no stitching on children. >> thank you so much. merry christmas. coming up, mackthought mac and cheese couldn't get better. the beloved classic is going bite sized. we have that and other

>> that looks delicious. [ dog barks ] [ bark ] there it is! [ gasps ] oh no! look, the sky's awake! that. was. epic! [ bark ] dear stranger, when i booked your place, my friends thought i was crazy. but this morning, a city i'd never been to felt like home. thank you for sharing the world with me. airbnb. belong anywhere.

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spread it -- you can do some, too. >> tamron, take salami. >> my family has been making these for years and they're awesome. that. peppers. put them on your platter and you get these salami bundles. stick or -- >> you can if you want to be fancy. we'll be simple this time. >> cute. >> mini mac and cheese. love it. we have store bought mac and cheese we've prepared, and there are great brands out there. if you want to make your own, go ahead. >> feel free. >> we are stirring in egg. we have cheddar cheese. take your scooper and scoop it into a mini muffin tin. >> the egg keeps it together? >> the cheese epakeeps it together. >> uli'll take one, if you insist.

you can make your own, also. this is a mix sure of sour cream, mustard, and you spread it on the pie dough. we made this cute border, half >> cute. >> top it with sauerkrautourauerkraut and pop it in the oven. pigs on a blanket. >> pig on a blanket. >> not in a blanket, on a blanket. >> you didn't cut it? >> you want to cut it? >> sure. >> youit's fantastic. treat. >> what we're going to do is take the white sandwich bread and make calzones. it's got an italian-american twist. you roll out the dough, get it nice and flat. then you're going to fill it with shredded mozzarella. >> great idea. italian hot pocket.

>> i've lived off of hot pockets a long time. >> we'll put you in the marketing team. get it a little damp, fold it over. you can crimp it shut with a fork. brush it with a little egg wash and pop it in the oven. >> cute. >> 375, 425 for 15 minutes. look at these amazing mini calzones. >> adable. >> this is for you. >> thank you. >> this one is for me. >> all right. >> cheers. there you have it. these are awesome. the best part, you have probably a lot of this stuff in your home already. coming up, no gift left behind just because it has a funny shape. doesn't mean you have to give up on wrapping in style. we'll show you how to do it, the snow is starting to fall... and all the decorations are just right. the presents have all been opened... and our loved ones are gathered all around. so share that extra joy in your heart... and make this christmas even more special than the last.

for a christmas meal they'll never forget. share wonder every day. walmart. music starts and plays throughout gucci guilty the fragrances for him and for her.

the shakeup at the las vegas review journal continues. now that we know that sheldon abelson is the new owner, the top editor is leaving. the paper now chart a new course. the editor came to the paper in 2011 and oversaw the paper's investigation that changed how metro engages suspects. he oversaw the most recent expose of itself, answering the question, who bought the rj? time now to see how the weather is shaping up. kelly: we will see dry conditions for most areas, and if you will do traveling, shopping, morning is the time to do it. the winds will be picking up. the high temperatures will be normal.

and primm, 58, but the winds will continue this afternoon. part of a chance of rain and mountain snow beginning this afternoon in areas to the north. las vegas, mainly overnight, a slight chance. christmas day, skies clearing out, and the wind died down, but the temperature, 48, and 45 for the high on saturday. tom: we hope you enjoy some time with family and friends over this christmas weekend, and when you wake up with the wagners on monday warning, we will introduce you to a person who is battling an aggressive brain

we will share her experience. taking a look at the headlines, winter weather has left thousands of travelers stranded at airports worried

reunions. rain and fog are still causing flight delays across the country. in atlanta, only one third of flights were on time wednesday. with just hours left until christmas, some retailers are telling customers their holiday several days. fedex. they have been operating around the clock and their net work is performing as it should. >> hyatt hotel said it found mal malware on its computer. hyatt says it has taken steps to increase security. and the chipotle restaurant

today. the location in boston is reopening reopening today. australia. these australians have developed their own holiday traditions wearing jolly costumes, spending the day on surf boards. no point of dreaming of a white christmas so why not enjoy a wet one. let's get to the forecast where we've had some serious weather. >> record breaking temperatures as well. so today is going to be a warm one. as we go through the weekend, it's going to stay warm up and down the east coast. look at saturday. temperatures still in the 50s and 60s. we'll see scattered showers and even snow through parts of minnesota, northwestern wisconsin and into south dakota. on sunday the snow winds down up here. look at temperatures dropping down into the teens by sunday

>> that's your >> and that's your latest weather. if the gift of giving has an odd shape, you might have to get creative about the presentation of your present. it just doesn't want to stand up. >> alton delaney has simple strategies for packages of all shapes and sizes.

>> hey, guys, good to see you. >> let's start with a bike helmet. >> i'm an artist and i'm looking for inspiring ways to wrap things. what if you don't have a gift bag? can you create your own gift bag. cut a sheet of paper and fold it over on itself, like a tube. i use my scotch gift wrap tape. i use a busy pattern, it disguises all your work. you fold it over and create little vietriangles and then you fold that back over on itself. >> this is a homemade gift bag. >> when you're done, this opens up. >> you can rip right into it and you can pop in your helmet.

>> that's so smart. >> sometimes up have objects you think there's no chance to wrap it but you've deg rated the actual object itself. >> when you're faced with a super unusual object, you can wrap it to look like what it is or disguis if t to look like something completely different. hoar i've turned the tricycle in rudolph. put some little antlers and i embellished it with a scarf. >> there's just brown paper here? >> craft paper and just card board and cut that out and put it together. >> don't tell the kid there's anything inside, play with this. >> how about a dollhouse! wow. >> to wrap something that looks

we created this wrap, the awnings, the eaves on it. skills. i don't think i could pull that off. >> and on that same note, it's being resourceful. i recycled a christmas card from maybe last year. i use the inside of my jar as the template, i trace that. i'm embellishing with a ribbon. just dress that up so easy. >> and there are ways to dress up wrapping paper, too. you can get artistic. >> if you're getting super artistic, you can create your own wrapping paper. if you have a happy birthday

you can tun it over and use the back. i take the doilies and wrap them around the rolling pin and put it in ink and roll it across the paper. >> we're going to ink this up and put a firm press down. >> who knew the inside of a celery was so beautiful. >> you're really, really good at this. thank you so much. merry christmas, everybody. back. we'll show you how to have your

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15 of our 16 to 16 series, where we've challenged three viewers and you at home to get healthy by 2016. >> almost there. mary jean, rochelle and ken are doing great, looking graets inging great and feeling great. today nutritionist, the extraordinary and amazing joy bauer made some delicious skinny cocktails for all of us to enjoy. because joy has to quiz us all, we have like a quiz of some sort, right? >> and you get to drink. this might be the most amazing slot will. quickly, let me fill you in on their incredible weight loss. week 15 i mary jean lost another 2 1/2 pounds. she's down during the holidays 35.5 pounds. >> bravo! >> you look raradiant. rochelle is down a total of 29 pounds. ken lost another two pounds, down a total of 31 pounds.

>> you have one more week. >> big finale next week. >> red carpet, everything. >> big finale naked? >> i've had some to drink. >> festive cocktails that we'll slim down. let's come down here. the original one that everybody tends to make is 487 calories. if you can imagine, that's the same equivalent as eating 32 mini candy canes. >> really? what's the alternative? >> mine is just as pretty looking. i crushed candy cane on the outside of the rim and swapped out the cream and did a combination of vanilla bean extract with unsweetened vanilla milk. the have nilvanilla vodka is still in there. mine is 210 calories.

>> and still clock under the amount of the one. >> next up? >> everybody loves eggnog. without spiking it with rum, a cup is going to cost you about 350 calories. >> gosh! >> that is the equivalent of eating 14 butter cookies. could you imagine? >> for one drink? >> one cup of eggnog. i'm about to show you the most ridiculously easy way to slim it down. you pick up any commercial, store-bought eggnog, and you're going to then dilute it with a little bit of either skim milk, light coconut milk or unsweetened vanilla almond milk. you will go from 440 calories, my spiced version, the rum is in there, 200 calories. >> very good. >> you like that? >> yeah, it's good. >> this is a ginger champagne sparkler. typically, they'll put a lot of sugary syrup in there. mine is champagne, crystallized

ginger and sugar on the rim to make it festive. >> oh, my gosh. >> we go from 223 calories, the equivalent of seven holiday cookies, to mine, which is only 143 calories. >> great. >> these are tremendous. congratulations. you guys look amazing. >> cheers. >> they're all on the web. can't wait to see next week's big extravaganza. today.com for -- these are all good. >> yummy. and hot buttered rum. up next -- oh, oh, oh! >> seal will smooth everything out for us because joy obviously had too many of her own drinks. really? >> oh, my gosh. my sister raves about her toothpaste and mouthwash all the time. i'm like, huh? aren't they all the same? you know, i had to see for myself. so i went pro. with crest pro-health advanced. advance to a healthier, stronger, cleaner mouth from day 1. this toothpaste... ...and mouthwash make my whole mouth feel amazing. and my teeth stronger.

in these 5 areas dentists check. this is gonna go well, for sure. advance to a healthier stronger, cleaner mouth from day 1. great check up. my sister was right. dear stranger, when i booked your place, my friends thought i was crazy. but this morning, a city i'd never been to felt like home. thank you for sharing the world with me. airbnb. belong anywhere. when we're making mashed potatoes, and add a packet of hidden valley original ranch. it becomes the first thing they reach for. ranch mashed potatoes. hidden valley it! ow! so you think santa will like these...

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it's all here. you're off the naughty list! eleventh hour shopper... that's you! see you next year, buddy! get low prices on all your last-minute gifts. walmart. pandora jewelry isn't just jewelry. it's a connection made stronger in silver and gold. this is more than a gift. it's a celebration... of you. that's the gift of pandora >> announcer: the citi concert series on "today" is presented to you by citi.

grammy-singing singer/songwriter who sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. the global hit, kiss from a rose, turned him into a sensation in 1994. on this christmas eve day, here he is with an early gift, his single, "this christmas." ladies and gentlemen, seal. hang all the mistletoe, i'm gonna get to know you better this christmas and as we trim the tree, how

the fireside is blazing bright, we're carolling through the night and this christmas will be a very special christmas for me presents and cards are here, my world is filled with cheer and you this christmas and as i look around, your eyes outshine the town, they do this christmas

we're carolling through the night and this christmas will be a very special christmas for me >> oh, whoa this christmas how special it's gonna be this christmas the fireside is blazing bright

this christmas will be a very

our diehard hash tag. >> this could be a christmas miracle if this works. >> we know it didn't work in the commercial break. >> do it one more time. >> make sure everyone can see that, tamron. 89% of you correctly say "die

>> coming up, morning to you. kim and dana had the day off. we are talking about holiday traditions. everyone has their own, and for some it is secret santa. google documented the most searched secret santa gift in the past three years and by state. what do we do here in nevada? furry monster slippers. popular gifts and other states including beadles jumps in virginia and the ever popular -- pets and montana, and it seems like it was popular 20 years ago. kelly: i want some of the furry slippers. they will keep you warm. you will need them this weekend.

expected today -- primm, 58, overton, 57, with rain and snow on their way in, along with gusty winds that will develop this afternoon with a chainnce of rain and mountain snow in areas north of the valley. the precipitation come tos to an end on christmas day, but colder for saturday. a high of 45, and morning lows below freezing. tom: they are liking the snow talk up at ski league it we hope time with family and friends, and when you wake up with the wagners monday, we have a sweet story for you. we will introduce you to a person who is battling an aggressive brain tumor whose wish took her to hawaii. we will let you know how you can

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