>> i'm a maniac. and everyone on this stage is stupid, fat and ugly. and, ben, you're a terrible surgeon. digging in at a rally of his own. >> when you're treated badly, you have to stick up for your rights. >> this morning, what trump was asking fox to do to show up. the confrontation. the fbi releases video of that deadly shooting of an anti-government protester in oregon. were the officers actions justified?d? the accompliee. >> investigators made significant arrests in relation to the investigation. >> a female teacher accused of helping the inmates escape from a maximum security jail. a new twist strikingly familiar to the new york prison break. and making a splash.

college basketball game to try and distract a free-throw shooter. did the speedo do the trick? today, friday, january 29th, 2016. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. welcome to "today" on a friday morning. willie geist, in for matt this morning. my remote control working overtime last night. my last button on the tv was used a lot last night. >> we'll see if this paid off for donald trump. >> that is our top story this morning. donald trump going through on his promise to skip the last night's presidential debate, but his presence was felt early and often. at his own event, trump admitted he wasn't sure how it would play over with voters. we have our own nbc's correspondent peter alexander.

>> good morning. i think you hit it on the head right there. it was compelling counter-programming. it was also a big risk for donald trump. on stage, he said he didn't want to be at his own event, that he likes debates. but without him, the republican debate took on a decidedly different tone. think of me >> reporter: as fox put it, he was the elephant not in the room. trump boldly boycotting the fox news debate. >> when you're treated badly, you have to stick up for your rights. and we have to stick up for our country when we're being mistreated. remember that. >> reporter: defying critics who called his move a mistake. inviting two underdog candidates to speak. trump comparing the crowd and his fund-raiser to the academy awards. touting $6 million raised. across town, trump's absence gave opponents an opening to deliver their best one-liners. >> i'm a maniac and everyone on this stage is stupid, fat and

and, ben, you're a terrible surgeon. now that we've gotten the donald trump portion out of the way. >> i kind of miss donald trump. he was a teddy bear to me. >> reporter: the debate offered a glimpse into what the campaign may have looked like without the unpredictable front runner. ted cruz, number two on the polls, became number one target on the stage. >> you've been willing to say and do anything to get votes. >> and that's an authenticity problem. everybody knows that he is not as perfect as him. >> the last four questions have been, rand, attack ted. marco, attack ted. chris, attack ted. jeb, attack ted. gosh, if you ask one more mean question, i may have to leave the stage. >> reporter: after jeb bush announced he won't even be in iowa for caucus night. >> couldn't run because it

>> r rorter: he exchanged barbs over hit issues with marco rubio. >> you changed your position on immigration. you used to support a path to citizenship. >> so did you. >> well -- >> so did you, marco. >> reporter: while chris christie lashed out at the senators on stage. >> i feel like i need a washington to english dictionary converter. stop the bull. >> reporter: ben carson highlighted his unique credentials. >> i've had more 2:00 a.m. phone calls than everybody here put together, making life and death decisions. >> reporter: even as the challengers kept talking, donald trump was already on his way back to new hampshire. not before suggesting his pregnant daughter could be his secret weapon. >> ivanka, it would be so great if you h hour daughter in iowa. it would be great. i would definitely win. stand up, honey. say hello. >> how will it play for trump? iowa caucus goers, will they be offended or stick with trump?

final say monday night. willie and savannah? >> peter alexander, thank you. let's bring in chuck todd, moderator of "meet the press." good morning. >> good morning. >> normally at this time in the morning, i would ask who won the debate. today, i'll say, who won the night? did trump's s g gamble pay off? >> you know, i think it did. the reason i think it paid off, because nobody on that debate stage was able to take advantage of the moment. i was surprised at how little beef that trump got on that stage. that was an opoprtunity for a couple of the front runners to come out and go at trump. he wasn't there to respond. they chose not to do it. other than the stuff at the top, it was a light touch. if you're trump, you're sitting here going, well, this was great. ted cruz and marco rubio, the two guys chasing me, ended up beating each other up, and were the targets of everybody else. one thing i noticed is without trump there, three people who trump has just obliterated over

ben carson, jeb bush and rand paul, all three of them had their best debate. >> chuck, people thought ted cruz specifically, because he's running close with trump in iowa, would have a target on his back. how did he handle the pressure last night? >> i think he struggled with it early, in particular. he was the one getting a lot of incoming. i think you could tell he liked sharing that with donald trump, without trump there. i thought he looked a little testy at times. his jokes fell a little flat. his s ttle tweaking of thehe moderators didn't seem to go over well. look, i think he's still the guy that is the number two guy here, but he didn't do anything, i think, to go and grab trump. maybe even come out on top. if anything, rubio may be nipping at his heels a bit. this may be a closer three-way race than we thought. >> chuck todd, we'll be watching. you'll have more from iowa this sunday on "meet the press," including a conversation with nator ted cruz.

sanders are making their final pushes ahead of iowa's caucuses. nbc's andrea mitchell is also in des moines, iowa for us this morning. >> good morning, willie. the democratic side is also heating up. bernie sanders goes after hillary clinton for her fundraising and what he calls her ties to wall street. >> reporter: bernie sanders is on the attack. speaking to another roaring crowd in iowa thursday night. >> change is not easy, and the opposition will be strong. >> reporter: he's targeting wall street in a new ad. >> how does wall street get away with it? millions in campaign contributions and speaking fees. >> repororr: ads seen as an tack on hillary clinton. >> wall street spends huge amounts on campaign contributions. >> is she bought by wall street? >> i'm not suggesting anything. >> reporter: with three days to go before the caucuses, clinton is trying to close the deal, winning over a former trump supporter. >> youave my vote.

means to me. >> reporter: connecting with one voter who is having trouble paying her bills. >> we have got to do more to help people. it's just not right. >> reporter: in iowa, one new poll shows she has a five point lead, with women and older voters throwing their support behind her. sanders is hoping young people and a growing organization will help him win on monday. >> we have 15,000 people in this state that havavvolunteered at least one shift a day. >> reporter: clinton's people say their ground game is secure. >> we've seen strong support across the state. >> reporter: at 74, sanders would be the oldest elected president if he wins. on t trsday, he released a a medical report, asserting he is in very good health. do? >> not with me. >> do i get involved in senior boxing, light heavyweight championship, or run for president? i decided to run for president. >> the one thing our new poll shows is that hillary clinton

her supporters tend to be more experienced caucus goers and more committed. bernie sanders has to hope that these fifit-time voters do shoho up at e polls. only three days to go. savannah and willie? >> andrea, watch out. he is going to box you. you will punch back. >> you have the hand moves. nice technique, andrea. >> thank you, willie. >> we are taking the show live to iowa next monday. >> we can tell you donald trump's ally, sarahahpalin, is joining us during the special edition of "today." moving on to the ongoing occupation of a federal wildlife refuge in oregon. the fbi has just released video of this week's fatal shooting of the group's spokesperson. nbc's joe fryer is on this story for us. good morning. >> good morning. the occupation is still not over. four people remain at the refuge.

from tuesday's deadly confrontation with the occupation's leaders, saying it wants to lay out an unfiltered view of what happened. >> reporter: when authorities decided to pull over and arrest members of the occupation as they drove two vehicles down a remote highway, an fbi plane was up above, recording it all. the video shows a white truck driven by lavoy finicum sitting idle for nearly four minutes. during that time, the fbi says agent and state troopers were telling the occupants to surrender. instead, the truck drove on. one minute later, it veered left to avoid a roadbdbck, nearly hitting an agege. finicum exited, hands in the air at first. the fbi says on at least two occasions, he reached his right hand toward a jacket pocket. that's when finicum was shot and killed. authorities say he had a loaded semiautomatic handgun in the pocket. >> as the video shows, it was a reckless action that resulted in the consequences.

supporters think he was not reaching for his gunun three weeks earlier, the arizona rancher said he'd rather die than go to jail. >> i have no intention of spending any of my days in a concrete box. >> reporter: during the confrontation, five occupiers were arrested, including the leader, ammon bundy, whose lawyer is calling for the rest to turn themselves? >> the message has been made. >> reporter: the a aed occupation is dwindling with four militants left. in videos posted online, they're sitting next to a fire, even dancing, saying they'll only leave if they're not arrested. >> telling u u it's safe to leave, but it's not. >> roadblocks have moved closer to the refuge. the fbi says negotiators are working around the clock to try to bring this to a peaceful resolution.

now to a major development overnight in the manhunt for three fugitives who escaped from a maximum security jail in california. a woman who worked as a teacher at the facility arrested and accused of helping them. here's nbc's miguel almaguer . >> reporter: the three inmates cut through the steel and repelled off the roof using bed sheets as rope. a jailbreak out of hollywood. now, this twist. >> it is believed that ravaghi has been arrested and believed she provided tools that aided in their preparation for the escape. >> reporter: the sheriff's department said the english teacher had a relationship with nayeri. providing him with google maps that may have shown him the roof. a case similar to the upstate new york prison break. >> i did wrong. i deserve to be punished. >> r rorter: where prison n employee joyce mitchell admitted

with two murderers before helping them bust out of prison. >> we know there was a relationship that developed. how far it went, whether it was physical or not, we're trying to confirm that. >> reporter: gone a week ago today, accordingngo the sheriff, bac tien duong was last spotted sunday answering an auto sales ad test driving this van before speeding away. investigators believe duong, nayeri and jonathan tieu may be living in the van together. >> we don't believe they're outside of the tri-county area. >> reporter: with ten arrested, including gang members, all near little saigon, investigators say they are one step closer to arresting the three inmates. men wanted for murder, attempted murder, kidnapping and torture, may have pulled off a jailbreak few could have imagined. for "today," miguel almaguer, nbc news, santa ana, california. there ararnew fears here in the u.s. and around the world

health officials predicting up to 4 million people could be infected in brazil this year alone. as we told you on thursday, the world health organization plans to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the spread. tom costello has been talking to the experts about it. it's scary. good morning. >> good morning. the meeting is all about deciding whether to declare this outbreak a global emergency but on the ground, that is exactly what they're already dealing th. >> reporter: world health experts call it a rapidly exploding crisis, south of the u.s. border, and a tiny mosquito carrying the zika virus is thought to be responsible. so far, an estimated 4,200 babies born in brazil with microcephaly, abnormally small heads and brains. we were with a mom as she took her two month old with microcephaly to the doctor. >> the level of concern is high. it's a level of uncertainty. >> reporter: the travel advisories in effect, the

experts believe the risk of a large-scale outbreak here is low. largely because very few americans lili in the kind of mosquito breeding grounds we see in brazil. surrounded by trash and stagnant water. >> people typically have air-conditioning and good screens that limit their exposure. >> reporter: so far, the cdc is awawe of 31 cases of zikik infection in the u.s., and 19 in puerto rico and 1 in the u.s. virgin islands. all victims contracted the virus while traveling aboard. we don't know how many involve pregnant women. health departments across the country are under order to report any cases to the cdc. women who are pregnant or thinking a aut becoming pregnant are urged to avoid traveling to zika hot zones. >> it was going to be our last hoorah before we had the baby in june. >> reporter: gina and her husband had their tickets to

now, they've cancelled. >> we probably couldn't live with ourselves if someththg did happen. >> here in the u.s., the mosquitos that can carry zika are most common in gulf states. they're not carrying it yet, by the way. they're only active in daylight hours. we have another layer of protection in this country. the seasonal cold that keeps mosquitos in check. back to you. >> tom costello with the latest, thank you. a stretch of oregon highway closed this morning after a massive sinkhole opened up in the road. look at this video. it happened on highway 101 in the costal town of harbor. southbound lanes. nobody was hurt. transportation officials set up a detour that will be in place until at least next week. back to the video we showed you at the top of the show. you probably cannot get it out of your mind. michael phelps. at an arizona sun devils game. phelps was the special guest behind the infamous curtain of

the idea is to distract players on the opposing team during free throws. well, he sported a swim cap, bow ties, medals and speedos. the distraction worked. the player missed both foul shots. he has been training for the olympipi in rio. by the way, the sun devils won the game by 18 points. >> that's a running gag at arizona state. there's been a study done. it's good for 1.7 points of an advantage at that arena. >> it's worth it. >> with michael phelps, it obably goes up. >> the speedo factor might increase it a little bit. >> you're at the line, is that michael phelps? unbelievable. >> how many medals does he have? >> that's what they're looking at. al, what's going on in the weather? >> i would have been looking at the medals. we're watching a groundhog day storm that's already out west. we're going to be watching it closely. we've got a lot of showers and snow in the pacific northwest. the second storm out here, we're going to be looking atat strong

moisture. it'll be enhanced by the jet stream. sunday, rain for southern california. a wintry mix across the southwest. then monday, it makes a b-line for the midwest and the plains. heavy snow from colorado across the plains. iowa may start to see some snow monday night, before the caucuses are done. then during the day on tuesday, heavy snow stretching from kansas all the way to wisconsin and northern michigan. strong thunderstorms from the ohio valley all the way down into the gulf states. we're going to be watching this one very, very closely. that's what's going on. we're going to get to your local forecast in the next 30 seconds.athroooo yep, he's gone noseblind he think it smells fine, but his guests smell this... sfx: ding, toilet flushing sfx: music begins febreze air effects heavy duty has up to two times the odor-eliminating power to remove bathroom odors you've gone noseblind to

...to continuously eliminate up to two times the odors for 30 days febreze small spaces and air effects' [inhale + exhale mnemonic] two more ways to breathe happy. melting and lots of sunshine. our weather will stay pretty mild right on through the weekend with a pretty quiet weather pattern. we will stand a slight chance of a light mix on saturday night but that system is small compared to the one moving into the midwest early next week. that bigger system could start giving us some light snow by monony night d bring more snow chances on tuesday. we still can't tell exactly where in the midwest the heaviest of snow will end up falling, but we'll have a chance of getting some of that snow in siouxland and a lot of wind will come along with it as well causing our mid-week to become much colder. we'll obviously keep you posted as that system gets closer. >> that's your latest weather. savannah? >> al, thanks. coming up, the much-anticipated mini series, "the people versus o.j. simpson." why the goldman family isn't happy about putting the trial of the century back in the spotlight

the bombshell investigation revealing the real reason you get shutout when you try to buy concert tickets. first, thihiis "today" on nbnb the american people can't afford to wait for ideas that sound good on paper... but will never make it in the real world. the grandmother who has to choose between paying for medicine and paying rent... can't wait. the single mom who desperately needs a raise... can't wait. the student with a mountain of debt can't wait. we can make real progress, right now. i'm caucususg... i'i'caucusing for hillary clinton.

from postal workers to nurses... he's been endorsed for real change: bernie sanders. endorsed by friends of the earth actiti as "a bold, fearlele voice for the e anet." the nation endorses bernie saying, "you can trust sanders because he doesn't owe his political career to the financial overlords." the des moines register calls him,

endorsed by council bluffs daily nonpareil because e e would build on obama's legacy and challenge the establishment." i'm bernie sanders and i approve this message. coming up, mcdonald's being called oututhis morning. the key ingredient a lot of customers say is missing in the cheese sticks. could you live there? we'll take you to the quietest town in america. cell phones and wireless devices

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from postal workers to nurses... he's been endorsed for real change: bernie sanders. endorsed by friends of the earth action as "a bold, fearless voice for the planet." the nation endorses bernie saying, "you can trust sanders because he doesn't owe his political career to the financial overlords." the des moines register calls him, "a man of courage and principle." endorsed by council bluffs daily nonpareil because "he would build on obama's legacy and challenge the establishment." i'm bernie sanders and i approve this message. one of the areas that i've been particularly interestededn is the area of children. we intend to be sure that everybody in this room and every child in this state is somebody. no matter where they're born, no matter to whom they are born. i want to make sure that every child

his or her god-given potential. i've spent my life fighti for children, and i'm not stopping now. i'm hillary clinton, and i have always approved this message. an early morning walk turned deadly for a south sioux city man. pablito perea-ybarra was killed on atokad drive in south sioux around 7 yesterday morning. an investigator with the nebraska state patrol says the 73- year-old man was walking in the middle of the road and it was dark out when he was hit. the driver did cooperate with authorities who believe perea-ybarra was on his way home at the time of the accident. authorities continue to

here meterologist ben dorenbach. he says we'll melt a little more

we're back now at 7:30. it's friday, january 29th, 2016.

i dare say it's a happy crowd at this table. friday is good. here's a look at the headlines. an english teacher working at a county jail is arrested for escaca. the 4444ear-old woman is believed to have given maps after having been involved with one of the men. >> it was a student-teacher relationship initially and relationship, where she began provideing him information. >> the escapees remain on the loose. investigators believe they may be living out of a stolen van. >> reporter:. the nhl suspended this player indefinitely for a cross check of an official.. the length of the suspension will be released after he meets with league officials. donald trump's absence dominated last night's republican presidential debate. his rivals mocking the front runner for not talkiki part in

>> i kind of miss trump. he was a teddy bear the too me. we always had a loving relationship in the debates. >> debate is a policy issue, but, gosh, if you guys say -- if one more mean question, i may have to leave the stage. >> as that played out, trump was holding a rally for veterans a few miles away. he told the crowd he skipped the debate because he was, quote, treateddadly and had to stick up for his rights. >> for me personally, is it a good thing, a bad thing, will it get more votes, less votes? nobody knows. who the hell knows. it's for our vets and you're going to like it because we raised over $5 million in one day. over $5 million. >> reminding you once again, the show will be in iowa for the caucuses monday morning. special edition of "today." now to the hype surrounding the star-studded mini series set to retell the 1995 trial of o.j. simpson.

>> o.j. simpson was an icon on the football field but was charged in the murder of his wife. players are speaking out as they prepare for the emotional journey back in time. >> your ex-wife, nicole simpson, has been killed. i'm so sorry, mr. simpson. >> reporter: the"the people versus o.j. simpson," revisiting the trial of the century. from the slow-speed bronco chase to the glove that didn't fit. >> if it doesn't fit, you must acquit. >> reporter: and the verdict that divided a nation. >> we the jury in the involved entitled action find the defendant o.j. simpson not guilty of the crime of murder, a felony on goldman, a human being. >> repepter: the case had the makings of a hollywood drama. more than two decades later,

with a cast set to recreate history. >> we had the best intentions to bring our artistry to the light in the events surrounding that trial and personalities. >> reporter: however, along with the buzz comes criticism from those closest to the crime. >> who knows how much is fact or fiction. we have all the history, the facts, we have all of the documentaries. why are we doing this? >> reporter: exclusive first look as family members of nicole brown simpson and ron goldman tell dr. phil they fear the series takes attention away from the victims. adding the film makers never contntted them. >> we have a whole new generation who never saw this take place and is now going to see this series and assume that everything in this series is fact. >> reporter: another player in the real-life drama, nicole's best friend, kris jenner. the kardashian family matriarch

about watching her late ex-husband, robert, serve on o.j.'s defense team. she deserves the trial as a very stressful time. telling the magazine, i couldn't wrap my head around the fact that she'd been killed in such a horrific, violent way. adding that she's never gotten over the loss of nicole. >> situation is very worrisome. >> reporter: despite the concern, audiences are once watch o.j. maybe even the man itself. >> i don't know exactly how he feels about it or whether he would do an interview afterwards or want to talk about it. but he shrugs it off and shakes his head when people talk about it. >> the renowned doctor who discovered the brain disease in nfl players says he believes simpson is suffering from the disease. during his 2008 trial for armed robbery and kidnapping charges, simpson considered using the

football led him to committing the crimes. he's serving a sentence in nebraska currently. you can hear from the family members monday on "dr. phil." it'll be interesting to see air. >> interesting about the claim he's suffering from cte. >> one of the stories where you is to know about the o.j. story, and it draws you back? >> sure does, always. >> natalie, thank you. turn to al now for a check of the weather. >> announcer: today's weather is brought to you by kay jewelers. every kiss begins with kay. >> ready for a weekend warmup? i know i am. jet stream up to the north, so we're going to see warmer temperatures today. minneapolis will be 12 degrees above average. little rock, 67. houston, up to 76 degrees. even atlanta, three degrees above normal. saturday, it starts to slide to the east. boston will see above normal temperatures. tallahassee, 70. kansas city, 18 degrees above average.

temperatures continue to warm. 50 in new york city on sunday. jackson, 73. as the system we told you about earlier makes its way in, it's going to be a clash of the air masses and that's going to lead to some severe weather in the plains into the gulf coast. that's what's going on arounmelting and lots of sunshine. our weather will stay pretty mild right on through the weekend with a pretty quiet weather pattern. we will stand a slight chance of a light mix on saturday night but that system is small compared to the one moving into the midwest early next week. that bigger system could start giving us some light snow by monday night and bring more snow chances on tuesday. we still can't tell exactly where in the midwest the heaviest of snow will end up falling, but we'll have a chance of getting some of that snow in siouxland and a lot of wind will come along with it as well causing our mid-week to become much colder. we'll obviously keep you posted as that system gets closer. >> that's your latest weather. >> al, thanks.

iowa for monday's caucuses. there. place we'll call home for that show. good morning. >> savannah, you'll love your new home. this is the west end architect architectural salvage. t-o-d-a-y. 50,000 square feet. restore. this table, you're going to love the bench. this was the hood of a ford. you can see the tailgate, as well. good plate to sit.amel waiting for you, savannah. special elision ofdition of "today" monday morning at 7:00 a.m. we'll have a live caucus of iowa voters here. the first tv interview with the former vice president candidate

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inside the concert ticket sales. >> jeff rossen is here and will explain why the tickets seem to sell out quickly. officials are cracking down, right? >> yes. this happened to a lot of us, probably, in this room and a lot of you at home. you want to see your favorite artist in concert. why wouldn't you? maybe your kids are begging you to buy them tickets to their favorite show. the minute those tickets go on what? you're shut out of the entire arena. sold out like that. my team began investigating the problem nearly three years ago. this morning, officials are taking action. where do the tickets really go? wait until you see what we found. >> reporter: they've been the hottest shows around, from bieber to pink. raise your glass >> reporter: to one direction. nobody can drag me down >> reporter: but good luck getting tickets. >> will be releasing today a report. >> reporter: new york attorney

sitting down with us. >> it's a fixed game. ordinary ticket purchasers don't have a fair shot attic et tickets to most shows. >> you say it's music, sports events, like showany show. >> on average, 54% of the tickets never make it to the public. >> the result, girls like jaden left in the dust. she wanted to see one direction. her mom waited by the computer. >> 10:00 came, it was available, sorry, no tickets available. it's impossible for the average person to get tickets. >> reporter: what's going on here? president of a fan's rights group funded by stub hub. >> who is getting them? >> the high-end credit card holders who get the e-mail three days before they go on sale. the fan club. many go to the artists or the venue. >> reporter: he says the numbers for many concerts are staggering.

jersey, box office records show at least 64% of tickets were held back or sold to special groups. even higher for pink. i'm gonna start a fight >> reporter: for one concert in new jersey, at least 77% of tickets were reserved for those special groups. the rest of the public had to fight for what's left. but the most dramatic example is justin geebbieber. at a concert in fresno, california, 92% of tickets went to special groups or were held back. more than 12,000 seats, only 940 tickets were set for the public. one direction didn't comment. ticketmaster said, we've cooperated with the attorney general's office and ensure

hands of their fans. the attorney general is calling for an overhaul. >> we want to keep prices low for fans, but they can't control it. >> how do you fix it? >> we have to have a transparent system. there should be tabs on how much you can mark up tickets. nobody can drag me down >> this morning, the new york attorney general also going after illegal ticket brokers. they have special software that can buy up tick it es in seconds and resell them online to you for more money. for a u2 concert in new york, the ag said the bots scooped up more than 1,000 tickets in the first minute of sales. >> oh, my gosh. >> you don't stand a chance. >> if you're a fan, you waited how long for your band to come to town, hit refresh and you get nothing. >> yeah. >> it's tough. >> this is a good way for you to follow one direction on the road. >> exactly.

coming up, pop start. leonardo dicaprio's big day at the vatican. what happened during his meeting with the pope. the nfl star taking heat for the beautiful things he said thousands of people came out today to run the race for retirement. so we asked them... are you completely prepared for retirement? okay, mostly prepared? could you save 1% more of your income? it doesn't sound like much, but saving an additional 1% now, could make a big difference over time. i'm going to be even better about saving. you can do it, it helps in the long run. prudential bring your challenges test test.

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to help millions in need heal their skin. so they can go back to work. or school. and that ordinary jar can make an extraordinary difference. we're back. orange room time. tamron, you know, you just can't do anything online without getting -- >> you can't. we believe in love. we're not mocking. we're sharing what happened to russell wilson. he took to social media to profess his addoration for his girlfriend. he wrote, her hair was midnight black. i kissed her and she had honey sweet lips that were lilac soft with a loving and affectional personality. >> it's like a romance novel.

it seemed a little too beautiful to believe. an appropriate editor at "billboard" magazine shared a link to what happens if you search "how to describe a beautiful woman." she wrote, oh, no. sure enough, if you go to this link, you'lllee wilson's smoothh wowos. hair w w midnight black. honey sweet lips. this lit up the twitter verse. wilson responds, ends with describing, this beauty, i'd like all the diction and syntax for 6,000 plus languages in the world. #my words. i'm rolling with russell on this. >> me, too. >> true romantic. why did she need to search his words? don't you believe in love, associate editor at "billboard?" >> are we going to pick on him for that, because he wanted to say he loved his girl?

why search it? why? >> nobody is writing that about her. >> he's a good guy and she's ibs-d. you know the symptoms when they start. abdominal pain. urgent diarrhea. now there's prescription xifaxan. xifaxan is a new ibs-d treatment that helps relieve your diarrhea and abdominal pain symptoms. and xifaxan works differently. it's a prescription antibiotic that acts mainly in the digestive tract. do not use xifaxan if you have a history of sensitivity to rifaximin, rifamycin antibiotic agents, or any components of xifaxan. tell your doctor right away if your diarrhea worsens while taking xifaxan, as this may be a sign of a serious or even fatal condition. tell your doctor if you have liver disease or are taking other medications, because these may increase the amount of xifaxan in your body. tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan on becoming pregnant, or are nursing. the most common side effects are

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good morning and welcome to the morning club on the phone today is stacey spencer, iowa. the prize today is four coupons good for 6 inch sandwiches from subway which siouxland town is a vacation destination for many and hosts the winter games every year? a) wynot b) omaha c) okoboji d) sgt. bluff it's a weekend of ice, fun, and competition. the winter games in okoboji, iowa kicked off yesterday. the ice is thick, thf weather is mild, and the conditions are expected to be great for the games this weekend. there are more than 100 events planned for r the record number of peoeoe expected to attend this year. the games are always held the

things will wrap up with the burning of greens and a fireworks show tomorrow night. good morning, honey. mmm. honey? so sorry, mrs. parker. so sorry... find a doctor, coordinate appointments, or transfer records with bewell 24/7. one of the many services provided exclusively to wellmark members.

it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, the tiger cubs roar. five years after the tiger mom took the world by storm with her controversial parenting style,

about their strict upbringing. did all the demands for perfection pay off? then can you hear me now? not if you're in green bank, west virginia. we'll take you to the town where cell phones are banned. >> when you want to make plans with a friend, how do you get ahold of them? >> what the residents have to say about living in the quietest town in america. and brain games. >> so far, i'm already lost. >> how good is your memory? we'll take you inside the show that puts it to the test and unlocks some surprising secrets about how our minds really work. today, friday, january 29th, 2016. just keep your eyes on me >> hello from santa fe. >> from alabama, florida, we're on "today."

>> 30 seconds of fame for my 30th birthday. this woman is my destiny shut up and dance with me welcome back to "today." it's 8:00, the 29th of january, 2016. what a great crowd out on our plaza. i have to say, they are just extra cute today. everybody is looking so adorable. >> i know. >> look at al signing autographs as we go down the line. >> signing a book. >> this nice lady bought this book. >> just happened to be here. >> thank you. >> we got a lot of carolina panthers fans getting ready for the super bowl. you know what they want to do, right? there it is. there's our panthers fans. coming up this half hour, the four js will wrap up your

if you're having trouble with the resolutions, fit, organized or get your financial page in order, send us your question on our facebook page. >> remember the game battleship? >> it's like they're playing it. >> i sunk your battleship. >> letet go to natalie for the top stories of the morning. >> good morning. donald trump made good on his threat to skip the republican debate thursday night in iowa because of his feud with fox news. he held his own event, attracting hundreds of people. trump said there were so many cameras there, he said it was like the academy awards. across town at the debate, the other candidates joked about trump's absence. with the front runner away, his nearest rival, ted cruz, became the main target. >> you've been willing to say and do anything in order to get votes. >> it's an authenticity problem. everybody he knows isn't as perfect as him. >> if you guys ask one more mean question, i may have to leave

>> trump boastst thatis r rly raised $6 million for veterans. the fbi has released graphic video of tuesday's deadly confrontation with the oregon occupation leaders. authorities decided to pull over and arrest the protesters who were driving in two cars. the men were told to surrender but a white truck driven by lavoy finicum took off. nearly hitting an agent at a roadblock. finicum eventually got out with his hands up. the fbi says he appeared to o reaching his hand toward his jacket pocket at least twice. that is when finicum was shot and killed. they say he had a loaded semiautomatic handgun in that pocket. now to texas where the so-called a aluenza teen appears in the court today after a deportation thursday from mexico. the question, will 18-year-old ethan couch will treated as a jew nil juvenile or adult? gabe gutierrez has more. >> at a detention hearing later

decide whether ethan couch will remain behind bars and, if so, whether he'll stay at the juvenile detention facility or be moved to an adult jail. the 18-year-old was broughtack to the u.s. on thursday, weeks after sparking international man hunt, whisked away from an immigration facility in mexico city and brought back here to ft. worth. now, he and his mother were captured edd edd in a resort town last month. they had been on the run after he skipped a probation meeting. of course, couch's case grew international attention after he was given no jail time for killing four people during a drunk driving crash in 2013. his lawyers argued he had affluenza. essentially, he was too rich and spoiled to know right from wrong. while his mother is out on bail and faces a felony charge for allegedly helping him run from popoce, couch could face a few months in jail. his lawyers say that they don't expect any more problems and they're optimistic there will be

but if his case is moved to an adult court, and there is another probation violation, prososutors could put him behind natalie. for us. thanks. a would-be bank robber left empty handed after losing a door tug of war. he asked the manager of the pnc branch in north carolina that just opened for business, and a gunman shows up and lungs for the door. the manager held it shut and the frustrated gunman ran away. the managerwins. a programming note, the documentary "making a murderer" may have everyone binge watching on netflix, but "dateline" covered the story in 2005. tonight, a brand-new story. thth state of wisconsin v vsus steven a. avery. >> right where he is. >> do you believe that there's no way he committed this crime? >> from evidence i looked at, i

i think he certainly was not guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. under the evidence that was presented. >> the full report tonight on "dateline" at 10:00 p.m. eastern, 9:00 central. crews getting levi stadium ready for super bowl corrected what would have been an embarrassing mistake. they accidentally painted the broncos logo in the wrong end zone. it was supposed to be the panthers name and logo. they painted it on the correct end of the field. for a while, both end zones had the broncos logo. they painted it over with the panthers colors. >> trying to make it a home game for the broncos. >> yeah, i think somebody was rooting for the broncos. amy chua in 2011 was known as the tiger mom, when she shared her s sict parenting methods.

are speaking out. >> you remember critics chastised her, saying the tactic tactics would be damaging to her daughters. as time went on and t ty grew up, things have gone, by their mom's standards, according to plan. >> reporter: the tiger mom's cubs are all grown up and speaking out. >> it's a memoir. >> reporter: five years since the release of amy chua's memoir memoir, oldest daughter sophia is a graduate from harvard and second lieutenant in the army. getting her law degree at yale. youngest, lulu, is an art history major at harvard.d. the parenting style was a questionphenomenon when their chinese mother and yale law professor introduced it in 2011. >> maybe we can learn a littlesomelittle something, too. little more on building the basic skills early on.

going to crack if we're a little hard on them. >> reporter: in an interview, the daughters are standing by their tiger mom, saying they wouldn't raise their own children any other way. 23-year-old sophia says everyone talks about my mother threatening to throw my toys on the fire, but the funny thing is, that was not a major memory. i remember my childhood as happy, she says.. i'm not scared off my momomnd never has been. it was my dad who i was much more afraid of disappointing. adding, they had high expectations but because they had the confidence i will do amazing things. 20-year-old lulu, described as a fire ball by her mother, admits it was a tough childhood but happy one. i was playing up to six hours of violin a day and it was too much. when i rebelled because it was putting too much on a strain on me, my mom could easily have given up on me. adding that she pushed me when i needed it. while amy chua admits she made mistakes, she told nbc news she learned a lot of lessons and

high expectations combined with unconditional love. it's a great formula. >> what's a tiger mom like these days? lulu told the "telegraph" her mom feels she's done, quote, her job and now doesn't have to hover over my life the way my friends' p pents . she said her mom set the groundwork early instead of being one of the so-called helicopter college parents, where universities are banning some parents because they can't stop showing up, overseeing their young adults. >> different things work for different families. looks like she turned out two good girls. >> two hard working girls. >> unconditional love is the key ingredient. >> yeah. >> tamron, thank you. coming up, the perfect pair. how to select the ideal wine to go with your g gl scout cookie. good news for jamie-lynn sigler. days after opening about her battle with ms on today. how do they function?

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there's no one i'd rather... share with. no one i'd rather have dinner and a movie with. nonone i'd rather lean o o being in love is an amazing thing. being in love with your best friend... ...is everything. introducing the ever us two-stone ring. one diamond for your best friend... one for your true love. for the one woman in your life who's both. ever us. new this valentine's day at jared, kay and zale's. all right. 8:14. time for trending. let's share some wine. girl scout cookie season is upon us and, apparently, there is an app that will show you how to pair your wines with your cookieie >> lovovit. >> w w not? >> you say why, and i sasawhy not, al. i pair my wine with re wine. >> exactly. they say thin mints pair nicely with a brunello.

we decided to do pairing here. >> okay, okay. i'll leave it -- >> please do. >> can you dunk the -- >> no, al! >> i wouldn't think so but you could try. >> little nibble. >> no. disgusting. >> we are first trying trefoils. what do you do first, sip and then taste or taste and sip? >> what's the difference, whether you dip it or not then? >> we're being classy, al. >> i'm out. >> both light and sweet, right? it goes together. >> yeah. too sweet for me. >> too sweet. >> next, do you know what goes well with ra-ra-raisin? >> never heard of it before. >> i like the ra-ra-raisin.

>> no. willie. come on. >> does it work when you do that? >> this is the spirit of the girl scouts right here. >> it's nice when you have crumbs floating around there. finally, savannah smiles is the cookie. >> this is yours. >> it does make me smile. >> it's like they made the cookie and wine pairing for you. >> seriously. >> i like this, savannah. >> the wine is so good. >> i love them. >> i sat here patiently, waiting for my thin mint. where are my thin mints? >> that's the after party. >> if you're going to have one, pair it with a brunillo. mozzarella sticks. mcdonald's brought back their versio you may have heard. they're getting criticism. people areriticizing mozzarella sticks. customers are sharing photos of their mozzarella sticks that have no cheese in them. >> that's egregious. one tweeted, i came in with

mcdonald's mozzarella sticks, yet somehow i was still disappointed. >> i like him. >> we reached out to mcdonald's for a statement about their mozzarella sticks. >> we bebeeve the cheese melted out during the baking process in the kitchen and shouldn't have been served. we apologize to any customers who may have been affected. we are working to fix this in our restaurants. they said it was a couple isolated incidents. generally there will be cheese in your mozzarella sticks. >> that's the end of mozzarella stick-gate. >> if you're lactose intolerant, that's good. look at this adorable note one grandmother wrote to her grandchild. haden, you are special to me. i love you and your personality. i can't wait to spend more time with you. i'm so proud of you. i talk about you all of the time. i love you with all my heart, grandma. >> so sweet. >> really nice. >> show you what grandpa added. same here, grandpa. >> yes! >> that is m man.

>> what she said. >> so visual. you must picture what he must look like, sitting on a la-z-boy. big news for jamie-lynn sigler. >> it's the wine. >> it's okay. sober up, lady. here we go. first up, happy news about our friend jamie-lynn sigler. matt interviewed her on wednesday about revealing her battle with ms. the actress said she hoped to continue working and that the disease e uld not affect her career. well, csi cyber has offered sigler a guest role on the show. she will play a director of content for social media company. her episode, by the way, will air in march on cbs. we're going to be watching in support of you, jamie-lynn. u next on thursday, leo

he greeted pope francis in italian. yes, willie speaks italaln. one more thing to love abouou him. they discussed a concern they share, the environment. at the end of the meeting, leo gifted an art book to the pope. it contained paintings by a favorite artist of leo. he also gave the pope a check to use use on charities close to his hear coldplay will release their 2016 u.s. tour schedule. they will be performing in seven cities across this great country. cold play has not towered, byy the y, since 2012. the tour actually begins overseas. after the super bowl appearance, they'll kick off the u.s. leg at metlife stadium in new jersey in july. use the tips that jeff rossen taught us, hopefully about getting tickets. >> was the tip, know somebody?

>> there youmelting and lots of sunshine. our weather will stay pretty mild right on through the weekend with a pretty quiet weather pattern. a light mix on saturday night but that system is small compared to the one moving into the midwest early next week. that bigger system could start giving us some light snow by monday night and bring more snow chances on tuesday. we still can't tell exactly where in the e midwest the heaviest of snow will end up falling, but we'e' have a chance of getting some of that snow in siouxland and a lot of wind will come along with it as well causing our mid-week to become much colder. we'll obviously keep you posted as that system gets closer. >> and that's your latest weather. willie? >> thank you very much. now to our special series, today's "digital divide." this week, we looked at how we're impacted by constantly being connected. >> this momoing, the one place in t t country where people have no choicee but t t disconnect. here's nbc's kerry sanders.

virginia, population, 143. known as the quietest town in america. where cell phones and wireless devices are banned. the town is located in the national radio quiet zone, a 13,000 square mile area that limits radio transmission. that's because green bank is home to the national radio astronomy observatory, with the world's largest radio telescope. >> it's the study of the natural radio emimiions that are coming from bodies in space. >> reporter: the telescope stands 485 feet tall and weighs almost 17 million pounds. it's so big that a college football stadium would fit inside the dish. >> how slight of a signal can this pick up? >> the sensitivity of this telescope is equivalent to the energy given off by a single snowflake hitting the ground. >> that slight? >> yes. we're talking a billionth of a

watt. >> this here can pick that up from -- >> 13 billion light years away. >> can i say wow? >> reporter: in order to pick up those sounds in space, there are no tv or radio station towers or cell phone towers in the region. >> if i live over there, what can i use? >> cell phone,e,pad, remote control toy, remototcontrol rage door opener, wireless headphones, bluetooth headphones, microwave oven, the list is long. because all of those are sending out a signal that interferes with that. >> that's right. in the vicinity of that telescope, they would all completely wipe out the astronomical signal. >> when we broadcast, we use a wireless microphone. because the signal from this with interfere with this technology, we're having to do it old school. with a boom microphone and a cable to the camera. >> reporter: there's even a survrvllance truck to monitor

>> is it like the radio police? >> yes, like the radio police. exactly. >> reporter: residents here have land lines, remember those? and they do have internet with alup or ether net cable. but day-to-day life is missing many of the devices and lifestyles we're accustomed to. >> you don't have instant access >> right. >> your friends can't text you. >> are you deprived? >> no. because i could just -- at school, you can talk to them most of the time. >> talk? >> yeah, you can talk to them. >> when you want to make plans with a friend, how do you get ahold of them and say, meet me here at this time? >> y y go see them. >> what's that? >> you go see them. >> you don't make a phone call, just show up? >> yup. >> if they're not home? >> go around until you find them. it's not that big a town. >> reporter: folks are happy with life as it is. quiet. >> i'll pose a queststn to you, if you've never tasted ice cream, would you miss it?

saving me time. >> i'm glad you think that but, you know what? your cell phone isn't looking at a person eye to eye, or you know, going to their house and speaking and shaking their hand, how are you today? >> well, thank you. >> thank you. >> reporter: for "today," kerry sandnds, nbc news, green n nk, weststirginia. >> could you live there? could you even visit there for a couple hours. >> maybe for a minute or two. >> drive through. >> i do like the idea of face-to-face interaction, communication, that fosters that. theyeye probably a lot richer than most of us. >> that's definitely true. we got tips from our m.i.t. professor that we interviewed yesterday. you don't have to immediately respond to messages. if you have to apologize, do it in person. sorry. the text doesn't work. >> you can start doing eating meals cell phone free which also means don't put it on the table. >> that's a good one.

was reading a book and i was answering an e-mail. my 6-year-old son said, dad, can u stop texting and watch the tv. i was like, oh, my gosh. >> i do the same thing with my son. you feel guilty. >> back after your local news. from postal workers to nurses... he's been endorsed for real change: bernie sanders. endorsed by friends of the earth action as "a bold, fearless voice for the planet." the nation endorses bernie saying, "you can trust sanders because he doesn't owe his political career to the financial overlords." the des moines register calls him,

endorsed by council bluffs daily nonpareil because "he would build on obama's legacy and challenge the establishment." i'm bernie sanders

sioux city could take center stage in the battle between republican frontrunners donald trump and ted cruz. cruz has invited trump for a one-on-one debate and he says he's already reserved the location. he's chosen 8 o'clock saturday night at western iowa tech for the showdown. leaders at wit say the rocklin conference room holds about 500 people. if trump accepts the debate invitation, they expect a fulul be exciting to see their school in the national spotlight.

agreed to the debate. here's meterologist ben dorenbach with the forecast.

right now. i'm caucusing... i'm caucusing... i'm caucusing for hillary clinton.

8:30 now, the 29th of january, 2016. great morning out on our plaza. happy crowd. not too cold, but we might get a couple snow showers tonight, huh? >> this afternoon, we'll seeee a few quick showers, a clipper moving across. >> also coming up, oneast meeting of the four js before we say good-bye to january. head to "today's" facebook page and get in your questions. could you escape this maze? we're going to catch up with the guys behind grainendnd brain games to reveal the inner workings of your mind.

>> let's get a check of the weather. >> for your weekend, starting off with tomomoow, big snow area out west. we're looking at the rockies, inner mountain region, cascades, wet along the pacific northwest. east two thirds of the country, pretty good. sunday, sunday, sunshine along the east coast. storm system coming to california. it'll mean a lotf snow for the plains to the midwest. by monday and tuesday, more rain in the pacific northwest. showers arounmelting and lots of sunshine. our weather will stay pretty mild right on through the weekend with a pretty quiet weather pattern. we will stand a slight chance of a light mix on saturday night but that system is small compared to the one moving into the midwest early next week. that bigger system could start giving us some light snow by monday night and bring more snow chances on tuesday. we still can't tell e ectly where in the midwest the e aviest of snoo will end up falling, but we'll have a chance of getting some of that snow in siouxland and a lot of wind will come along with it as well causing our mid-week to become much colder. we'll

>> that's your latest weather. willie? >> al, thank you very much. now to our special series, start today 2016 off to a great start, thanks to our experts who have been offering advice all month long and want you to keep it up. the four js, all here answering your questions live on "today's" facebook page. quick tips for peoplehis year? >> first tip, you can always save more than you think you can. look at your small expenses first, then the medium ones, then the large ones. just trim it. second, when it comes to the market, a lot of people are in a panic now because it's beeno volatile. stick to your plan. stick to your plan for the long-term and you'll be fine. >> we'll let you get back to the questions. joy? >> plan your meals ahead of time

when it comes to dinner, give each day during the week a special category. example, monday is meatless mondays. taco tuesdays. whatever wednesdays. pasta thursdays. then you have an organization and you can filllt in with a yummy, healthy and fun meal. the second thing, make weekly mini goals. while the long-term goals are amazing. for example, i want to lose 40 pounds. it's the weekly, short-term goals that helps us give ourselves a pat on the b bk. then it fuels your motivation to finish line. >> cool, i love a good taco tuesday, by the way. >> what do you have, jenna? >> the first is get outdoors. up. it burns more calories and improves your mood. like joy, schedule it out. make it a meeting. schedule your workouts. i write them in my nerdy planner my mom gives me each year. write it down and stick to it like it's a meeting. award yourself if youo it.

frozen yogurt or glass of wine. keep to it. consistency is key, they say. say. >> you've been working hard. jill, what can you tell us? >> i think it's really about taking a chance in fashion and organization. we painted one wall in savannah's guest room and it made a difference. if you're scared, i don't know if i want -- just go for it. if you want to get the blazer you haven't worn that you want, go for it. fashion is poupsupposed to be fun. organization starts off your day well. we did steals and deals this week and the style makeover. we'll have one lady -- we asked you to send in the oldest thing in your closet and hash tag it, start today concert. whoever wins gets these deals. the jeans, necklace, bag. who is the winner? oldest thing in your closet,

she won a local fashion faux pas concert. she's not sure why it's still around. we reward you. you can upgrade this look with our steals and deals sle makeover. congratulations and thank you, everyone, for hanging with us. we're going to keep it going. >> repurposing an old quilt, too. resourceful. >> few old quilts. with an extra material, making an accessory. >> exactly. ladies, thank you so much. this was to fun. you, too, can get advise on everything from fashion to financial, head to "today's ees"today's" facebook page. let's keep up the good work through 2016. savannah? willie, thank you so much. now to help dealing with uncomfortable situations. every parent has been there. somebody asks you an inappropriate question, right in front of your kid. should you blow it off, use it as a teachable moment? a family physician, mother of four, has some thoughts on that. dr. g., good morning.

>> do you know what to do when we get weird questions? i know what i want to say and i know it's better to be gracious anyway. the >> the firir one, i hear it all the time, are you pregnant? >> which is really lovely, except when you're not. >> exactly. one of our parenting team members had a aesponse. >> my faf ritrite question to be asked is, are you pregnant? i say, this is a food baby, and if you want to throw me a >> i like her. >> brilliant. >> what do you do? is it okay to ask someone, are you pregnant? >> when the baby is crowning. if you can handle it with humor and let the person know it wasn't a great question without making them feel ashamed and embarrassed, that's lovely. you can be honest and say, i'm not. but you can also be sweet and say, you know, we're hoping in the next couple of years.

>> usually, resist the urge for snark. if you can, be likeke mom, is that you? >> another one people get, you're a perfect example, you have four boys, oh, do you wish you have a girl? are you trying for the girl? we have a viewer who went through this. let's see what she says. >> when someone says t t me, oh, you have a boy and a girl. good for you. you can be done having kids. >> okay. the whole idea of people kind of weighing in on your family, gender gender. >> absolutely. the gracious answer is, of course, we're so glad they're healthy. we're really blessed. whatever makes sense to you to say. it is okay, i think, i sometimes give the honest answer, which is, we just didn't get the recipe for girls. i think you have to add more flower. i'm -- flour. >> it's awkward if your other kids are there. are you going to have another baby?

if we were hoping he'd be a girl. >> a lot of us say to the kiki, that person has a baby in their belly. how do you talk to kids about pregnancy? >> it's better to say, will have a baby or is having a baby, instead of, having a baby in their belly. i had a kid ask me, did you eat the baby, which is terrifying for them. i said, no. >> leave it at that. >> i left it at that. >> is that always the tip with kids, give the bare minimum? >> answer the question they answer as simply as you can. if they have a follow-up questions, they'y' come to yoyo >> if you have a frienen who has ababy, the baby has a disability, some people don't know what to say. it's simple, right? >> i want you to say the same thing you'd say to someone who had a new babyby ngratulations. how can i help? >f it's a close frieie, is it okay to say, how do you feel about that? how are you handling that? >>r how are you feeling? that gives them the opening but not the necessity of bearing their soul.

a lot of times in the store -- >> i'm not sure there is a traditional family anymore. >> you'll hear the cashier saying, is your mommy and daddy around? how do you handle that, if you have a different family? >> i think the answer is, just say, you know what, our family looks a little different thaha that, bubuthank you for asking. >> dr. g., thank you so much. we have a lot more tips to handle the awkward parenting questions on our pebwebsite. coming up, secrets to unlock the potential of your mind.

nbc. the american people can't afford to wait for ideas that sound good on paper... but will never make it in the real world. the grandmother who has to choose between papang for medicine and paying rent... can't wait. the single mom who desperately needs a raise... can't wait. the student with a mountain of debt can't wait. we can make real progress, right now. i'm caucusing... i'm caucusing... i'm caucusing for hillary clinton.

>we're back at 8:42. the new season of "national geographic's" show "brain games" will test your mined in a new cool way. >> they're taking it on the road. joe fryer caught up with them in london and put his own brainpower to the test.

to unlock the labyrinth of the brain than inside a maze, especially this classic one tucked in the shadows of an english castle? >> what's going on, guys? welcome to "brain games." >> reporter: it's here jason silba is meeting the latest contestants for "brain games." >> it's illusion and realty. >> reporter: a popular tv show that airs on nat geo. >> we're trying to gamify neuroscience. >> reporter: we got a sneak peek at this show, this 100-year-old maze offers a great setting for a game of memory. it pits me against mazey, a child champion. >> child look on the world with wonder and inquisitiveness. my vote is on her, man. sorry. >> you think you'll beat me? >> yeah. >> pretty confident. >> reporter: here'e' how the game works. first, we're guided through this life-size puzzle and shown the locations of five flags.

>> in a few minutes we'll each have to do it again without make a mistake. >> why d d't you go first, supepetar. >> cool, calm and collected, mazey takes off. though tougho see amid the eight-foot hedges, she emerges in minutes, a flawless run. >> superstar. >> clearly this is amazing mazey's maze. now it's my turn. mazey was perfect. i have to be perfect. from here i remember the u-turn, the long walk, remember all those left turns and finally -- boom. flag time. remember where it all ends. a successful run though my young competitor was still a bit faster. what is it i should take away from this? >> just mindfulness, right? the importance of paying attention, the importance of engaging with the world around you. to be like a child. next w w travel too london along the river thames for a new brain game. >> acti. >> json asks folks to stand up when they hear a horn and when

i give it a shot. horn. flag. yes, there is a point to the reflex test. >> when do you think you reacted faster? when i made sound or when i moved the flag? >> i would say probably the sounun >> y y are actually correct. typically, our auditory cortex processes information faster than our visual cortex. light travels faster than sound. >> just another way jason is using games to unlock the secrets inside that three-pound organ in our heads, navigating the mazes of our minds. for "today," joe fryer, nbc news, london. >> joe did well there. >> we'd all be lost. >> yeah. >> i'd still be there. >> those corn mazes freak k out. >> we all had the same thought, "the shining." the maze. the end of the "the shining." the new season of "brain games"

channel. coming up, a live performance from pop superstar charlie puth coming up. first, t hmm hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm hmm hmm hmm hmmmmmm-hmm let us be lovers, we'll marry our fortunes together

i've got some real estate here in my bag counting the cars on the new jersey turnpike they've all come to look for america [ cheers and applause ] all come to look for america all come to look for america all come to look for america

>> announcer: the citi concert series on "today" is presented to you by citi. >> it is a big day for grammy nominated singer, song writer and producer, charlie puth. >> his debut album is officially out. good morning and welcome back. congrats on the new record. >> thank you. >> i like the title, nine track mind. do you have nine things going on at any time? >> probably than nine things. i have like a thousand musical thoughts going constantly in my head. >> ours would be half track mind. nothing focused. >> doesn't ring as nicely. >> exactly. >> you've had a big year in 2015. a lot of people would say, wait, this is his debut album? i've been listening to him for a year now.

>> i was nominated with wiz for three grammys before my album came out. i don't know if it's supposed to work like that, but i produced all this album with a couple great friends of mine. not in the studio. in my bedroom and hotel rooms, car ride and airplanes. it's a personal album. >> you're going on tour in march, right? >> yeah, and it sold out quickly. >> this has been a crazy journey for you. not more than a year ago or so, you were at home in new jersey. >> that's right. >> now, you have your own album. you're going to be on stage at the grammys. >> yeah. >> can you process it all? >> i'm excited about all that, but i get to go home to new jersey tomorrow for a second. two hours. then i get to go back on tour and everything like that. >> what are you going to sing for us now? >> my new single "one call away" for you. >> charlie puth, take it away.

i'm only one call away, i'll be there to save the day superman got nothing on me, i'm only one call away call me, baby, if you need a friend i just wanna give you love, come on, come on, come on reaching out to you, so take a chance no matter where you go, you know you're not alone i'm only one call away, i'll be there to save the day

i'm only one call away come along with me and don't be scared i just wanna set you free, come on, come on, come on you and me can make it anywhere for now, we can stay here for a while cause you know, i just want to see you smile no matter where you go, you know you're not alone i'm onlyy one call away, i'll be there to save the day superman got nothing on me, i'm only one call away

i'm gonna keep holding on now don't you worry, it won't be long darling, and when you feel like hope is gone, just run into my arms i'm only one call away, i'll be there to save the day superman got nothing on me, i'm only one i'm only one call away i'll be there to save the day superman got nothing on me,

[ applause ] >> charlie puth, his album, out today, "nine track mind." >> congrats again, man. so hop payappy for you. you'll come back our next hour and chat? >> that's right. >> do that again, i like that. >> that's right. >> okay. we're back in a moment. >> "today" on nbc. >> that's right.

can actually make a difference for you. in a world as complex as this, we need a president as experienced as hillary. in the situation room... at the negotiating table... and always on your side... fighting for children and families. with a real plan to get incomes rising... ...reduce drug prices... ...win equal pay for women... ...and protect social security and medicare for seniors. she'll build on obamacare, not start over. break through the gridlock, not add to it. defend planned parenthood, not attack it. stand up to the gun lobby, not protect it. lead on foreign policy, not ignore it. we need a president with the experience and determination to get the job done. i'm running to make a difference. a real difference for you and your families across our country. i'm hillary clinton

coming up on the next hour, we have a shepherd's pie. al, we're making shepherd's pie. >> one of my favs. it's a perfect day for it. >> and it's lamb shepherd pie, right? >> that's right. >> charlie puth and politics. >> and pie. >> you're showing us something new with facebook. >> facebook, live portion will be for everybody. used to be for certain folks. it'll be cool, doing live stuff. we're going to show it off on our facebook page. facebook.com/today's take. >> what does it do? >> periscope. it's the facebook version. >> okay. also, we know who is going to be in the board room during "celebrity apprentice." >> good job teasing next hour. >> we have a lot.

>> back after your local news. some siouxland men are helping a local charity. the group is called "100 plus men who care." they get together four times a year, and last night they met at briar cliff. each man pitches in a hundred bucks and they all vote on which charity to give the money to. they say when they join forces

impact on the community. they group chose to donate 8-thousand dollars to siouxland cares, a coalition that fights substance abuse. two more counties in northwest iowa are now home base iowa communities. a celebration took place yesterday at arnold's park pavillion as dickinson county received the designation. buena vista county also received the recognition. home base iowa helps military men and women transition into civilian careers. warmer temps heading into the weekend ben?

but will never make it in the real world. the grandmother who has to choose between paying for medicine and paying rent... can't wait. the single mom who desperately needs a raise... can't wait. the student with a mountain of debt can't wait. we can make real progress, right now. i'm caucusing... i'm caucusing... i'm caucusing for hillary clinton. i'm hillary clinton and i approve this message. car repairs, home improvements, a family trip... it's not easy to afford them. what did marco rubio do? he put $22,000 in personal expenses on a republican party credit card. rubio's bad judgment caused a scandal and for five years rubio refused to release credit card records. marco rubio: skipping major votes... all over the place on immigration... bad judgment. marco rubio: just too many questions. right to rise usa is responsible for the

this morning on "tote'sday's take," trump holds a rally during the debate. who is the real winner? we span the world in sports.

music, charlie puth, is in the building. all that and more is coming up now. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today's take," with al roker, natalie morales, willie geist and tamron hall, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. welcome to "today." it's friday morning, january 29th, 2016. that's all the important data so far. great crowd outside. i'm willie inside with tamron, al and natalie. you, my friend, have chosen our jam this morning. >> i have. eminem "lose yourself." >> favorite. >> workout song. i got my son hooked on it before games. one shot, one opport not too much pressure. >> the clean version, i should say. >> i was wondering. >> mom of the year. >> tiger mom.

spitting eminem. mom's spaghetti on his shirt already >> little eminem. >> also made me think of the debate with the song. one opportunity. >> i see, spinning yourself out sure. >> passing the baton. >> donald trump, as expected, did not show up at last night's fox news republican debate in des moines, iowa. still, he was the story. we'll start with the debate and then talk about his event last night. the debate opened with a question for megyn kelly about the donald. >> let's address the elephant not in the room tonight. donald trump has chosen not to attend this evening's presidential debate. what message do you think that sends to the voters of iowa? >> let me say, i'm a maniac, and everyone on this stage is stupid, fat and ugly. ben, you're a terrible surgeon.

trump portion out of the way -- [ applause ] -- i want to thank everyone here for showing the men and women of iowa the respect to show up and make the case to the people of this state and the people of the country, why each of us believe we would make the best commander in chief. [ applause ] >> without trump there and cruz running pretty close, though behind donald trump in iowa, cruz became the number one target on the stage. senator marco rubio accusing cruz of doing and saying anything to get votes. senator rand paul said cruz had an authenticity problem. just up the road, trump holding a competing event, said he raised about $6 million for military veterans. continued to mock fox and talked about using his daughter ivanka as a secret weapon on the campaign trail. >> fox has been extremely nice the last couple of hours,

they've wanted me there and said, how about now? they called a few minutes ago. hasn't it already started? ivanka, it would be so great if you had your baby in iowa. i'd definitely win. >> at the end of the night though, who wins? >> donald trump. donald trump wins. >> what's the measure? >> google maps showed across the country who was the most talked about of the debate or the night, and trump was -- it was bright red all across the map. >> that was the traffic. it doesn't mean that people were all praising him. >> no, no, no. >> what's the measure of who won? >> for him, it's what he measures. >> the attention. >> one of the great moments in the debate was when they pulled out the competing video, showing both rude owe andbio and cruz on immigration, the stances.

actually, and it could be pivotal, not in iowa but later on in new hampshire. what's interesting, a lot of the pundits on "morning joe" had an array of guests, and experts as well, who said this was the most substantive debate. the early ratings are in. won't be the most watched. early numbers say it's the secondest lowest rated. but this is like, what, the seventh or eighth debate that they've had their shot. nevertheless, there are some who believe it was actually won, where the candidates, while boring maybe, were able to answer the questions. >> i think they all came alive a little more. jeb bush, i think, had the best night he had, you know, of all the debates we've seen. he came to life. marco rubio and ted cruz, they were debating real, substantive issues. >> i was expecting more from chris chris christie.

much longer. people go to vote in iowa on monday. we can't wait. >> the "today" show will be there. >> yeah. >> with trump out of the board room -- talking about "celebrity aparen dis apprentice," the chairman of the board room will be arnold schwartz . snooki will be there, carly wilson. warren buffet will be an adviser. jessica alba, fantastic entrepreneur. tyra banks, as well, very great business people in the board room. it's going to be very interesting. >> a lot of star power. schwarzenegger, buffet. >> warren buffet? >> yeah. >> wow. >> they're doing the show this time in the area outside of los

it's about technology and innovation. >> snooki is going to invent an app that will be great. >> silicon beach, seven blocks from our home. it's why we picked it. so this is the image of the day. i'm going to vote for it as the image of the day. there is a running gag at arnold state university. i didn't know this until you mentioned it. they try to fluster the opponent at the foul line. it's called the curtain of distraction. the opponent goes up, gets ready and you distract. they upped the ante this time around. they added a special guest to the distraction or curtain of distraction. michael phelps. take a look. >> oh, wow! >> that's a distraction. >> it gets better. they up it even more. take the wide shot. let's see. >> wait for it. >> where is the other picture? >> where's the good part? >> that's not the good part. >> it's got to be coming. >> there it is. >> what are we waiting for? there!

black pants on, and i kept thinking about chris farrelly and -- >> chip and dale. >> swazyzeswayze. >> it's the same look. >> currently, phelps is training for the 2016 olympics because he's going to coach later in life. he wants to retire and coach in arizona. nevertheless, what was the record? there was a record -- hold on. you said it earlier, willie. >> the points? >> yeah. >> arizona state does this. even when he's not there. it's a 1.7 point difference in their games for free throw shooting. >> the distraction. >> it works. >> with phelps there, it's ten points. >> thaw woney won the game, which is on my notes. 86-68. >> complete distraction. >> we talked about the hockey body check. we showed you wideman bumping

home loss, and into the referee, as you'll see in a couple seconds. right? we were talking about this yesterday. like what did it look like? >> i'm glad i was right about this one. >> i said it was intentional. >> we try to give people the benefit of the doubt. >> when it's on tape -- >> it's more than a shove. that was a check. >> now we know the nhl suspended him indefinitely, pending a hearing next week. wideman did say after the game that he said he was distracted. he had just been hit. i guess he was distracted with t t time. >> the league didn't believe it. >> when your arms go like this -- >> with a stick in it. >> trying to help him out. what about this part? >> with the helmet on. >> helped the guy up. >> anyway, i love this. facebook now, you have an iphone, this will be available

cool thing called facebook live. you go to your status, you put live, and then you go live. it's like periscope. >> y streaming. >> we're going to check this out. >> you're on now? >> yeah. >> is this on our new page? hey! >> it's from the phone. >> exciting. >> you can walk over. let's go over -- >> this is on our facebook page. >> well, it's on the phone right now, right? >> you can watch it on a desktop. >> speaking of which, let's find out right now how many folks we've got on our facebook page. 77,000. go to facebook.com/today's take. help us get the numbers up. let's get over 100,000 today. let's do 100,000. facebook.com. let's hit it again to see. boom. come on, folks. we can do it. we're going to check it at the

i want to see it over 80,000. >> tell people about the prizes. >> they didn't tell me that. we have 25 days -- now a few less -- how many more days? >> 22. >> 23 days. a prize a day. go to facebook.com/today's take. check the sweepstakes out. fabulous. you have a chance to win those so it'll be fantastic. groundhog's day storm coming in. low pressure making its way toward us. what happens is, it causes rain in los angeles. icy, snowy mix across the southwest sunday. on monday, it stretches, snow from the rockies all the way south of iowa. heavy showers and thunderstorms. then on tuesday, groundhog's day, we have the risk of severe weather from indiana yap lispolis to -- they said to cut the live stream.

if you are in iowa, still on tuesday, willie, you aren't >> where is he going? >> i'm spending the week in >> fab you loisu >> time in iowa. let's check the numbers one more time, still live. so close! that's what's going on around themelting and lots of sunshine. our weather will stay pretty mild right on through the weekend with a pretty quiet we will stand a slight chance of a light mix on saturday night but that system is small compared to the one moving into the midwest early next week. that bigger system could start giving us some light snow by monday night and bring more snow chances on tuesday. we still can't tell exactly where in the midwest the heaviest of snow will end up falling, but we'll have a chance of getting some of that snow in siouxland and a lot of wind will come along with it as well causing our mid-week to become much colder. we'll obviously keep you posted as that system gets closer. >> facebook, fan xs, let's see

boo-yah boo- i le it. over 80,000. we're breaking 100,000 before the show ends. >> amazing. >> mention the prizes. that will get people there. >> lots of stuff. >> go to the facebook page. >> not hand-me-down stuff, it's good stuff. >> good stuff. >> like the guests we have on this show. nothing but the best. like -- >> charlie puth. >> boom. >> the man's career is on fire. his debut album is out today. he'll be back with us after soup and sandwich and somewhere to go, and clean and real and nowhere to be, and warmth and looking good, and sandwich and soup and inside jokes, and dan is back! good, clean food pairs well with anything. the clean pairings menu. 500 calories or less. at panera.

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2016 already shaping up to be a huge year for singer/songwriter/producer puth. his debut album is "nine track mind," out today. in a couple weeks, he'll be at the grammys, where he's nominated for song of the year for "see you again." that's his smash hit with wiz khalifa, featured in "furious 7." he co-wrote that song. the video has more than a billion views on youtube a north american tour in march, but stopping by to hang out with us on album release day. good morning again, mr. puth. >> what's going on? >> i have cold hands. >> he pete beat boxed on our facebook page. >> go ahead. >> he's good.

>> michael jackson. >> oh, cool. totally cool. >> on fire this morning. >> wow. >> where does that come from? you talked about sitting in your room, working stuff out on computers. you're like a one-man operation it feels like. >> i don't know. i started -- like i always made weird noises when i was a youngin. i still am but -- >> how old were you? >> i was 8. in my own mind, i was doing all this stuff. running around on basketball courts, not playing the sport. teachers would be like, charlie, stop making noises. it was like music in my head. that's why i called my album "nine track mind." i've always had music in my head.

>> yeah, and now vocal tracks. >> i don't want to delete this. >> no, no. keep that there. >> not only have you had this amazing year and all this success, but the other thing is, people want all these amazing you. >> amazing. >> that's the mark, when your peers want to work with you. >> when -- all these artists that i grew up listening to, like fergie and so many people, they're like, now you're going to go in the studio with them. i used to listen to -- i listened to one direction like on spotify, and now i'm writing for them. it's absolutely insane. >> meghan trainor. >> 'yeah. >> selena gomez. >> i don't look at them as famous people. they're in my work force. we go on tour, and we all do the same stuff. why not make music together?

>> bruno mars. >> you two would be great together. >> spectacular. >> that'd be cool. we're label mates. >> bruno, pilk upd gi him a call. >> i'd love that. people with powerful voices. ariana grande. >> that'd be hot. >> this has been a crazy year for you. craziest moment, craziest person who camep to you and said, i'm a huge fan, that blew your mind? >> i was at the american music awards in my trailer. i walked out and i heard a -- i'll do a bad british accent -- "hello there." it was horrible. sorry. it was harry styles. he was like, you produced "slow motion," didn't you, and i was like, number one, how do you know that? it was an r&b song. i was like, wow, yeah, i did.

he was like, good work. nice to meet you. i'm like, cool. >> maybe a one direction collaboration. >> that could be kind of cool. but they've broken up though. >> just lost one guy. >> down a man. >> fill it in. >> there you go. >> i think you'll have more people knocking on your door. >> i'd love that. >> album is "nine track mind." catch him on tour soon, as well. he'll have one more man in the next hour. great to see you. >> congrats. just ahead, the hollywood star acceptedingsending her rootmetrics, in the nation's largest independent study, tested wireless performance across the country. verizon, won big with one hundred fifty three state wins. a t and t got thirty-eight, sprint got two, and t mobile got, zero. verizon also won first in the us for data, call speed, and reliability.

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pull the peach! mmmm, yoplait. [ scanner beeping ] sir, could you step aside? "sir"? come on. you know who i am. progressive insurance? uh, i save people an average of over $500 when they switch? did you pack your own bags? oh! right -- the name your price tool. it shows people policy options to help fit their budget. [ scanner warbling ] crazy that a big shot like me would pack his own bags, right? [ chuckles ] so, do i have the right to remain handsome? [ chuckles ] wait. uh-oh. i'm going to share a photo of my eggo waffle when it pops up. that's so interesting honey because i'm going to share a photo of my eggo waffle when it pops up. l'eggo my eggo l'eggo my eggo (answering machine) hey! leave a message. hi, i know you're there, 'cause i can see you.

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jane, "jane the virgin" star is donating her dress to a fan. tweeted, would love to wear your golden globes dress to prom. she said she didn't own the dress but would send her dress from last year. jessica told the star, it would be an honor to wear the dress. looks like jessica is going to have a prom to remember. this might be my favorite story of the day. kim basinger is starting to get shady. the oscar winner has just been cast in the sequel to fifty shades of grey. she will play the business partner and former love of christian grey. remember, that's the character who turns him out. anyway, looks like the franchise got a little steamier. i wasn't into it before, but i am now. is zayn malik heading in his

the former one directioner dropped a single, his first since leaving one direction last year. he released a music video. it's going to steam up your sunglasses. take a look and listen. it's a paradise and it's a war zone >> so the song will be featured on his album, "mind of mine," which is set to be released. the headline, which is not here, that's gigi hadid, his girlfriend in there. just grilled chicken and bush's baked beans. >>mom totally forgot to give us vegetables. i know. it's awesome. >>boo-yah. blow it up. bush's baked beans. slow cooked according to our secret family recipe with a hint of sweetness. they're the vegetable kids love. they're totally eating their vegetables. boo-yah.

whaaat? bush's baked beans. the veggie kids love. try our newest flavor, asian bbq. available for alimited time only. i've smoked a lot and quit a lot, but ended up nowhere. now i use this. the nicoderm cq patch, with unique extended release technology, helps prevent the urge to smoke all day. i want this time to be my last time. that's why i choose nicoderm cq. it's olive garden's newwtake on lighter italian fare. three new w diterranean inspsped dishes. savory shrimp scampi sauteed in a mouthwatering garlic sauce. and flavorful new! chicken piccata. all under 575 calories. only at olive garden. e weekend to stay up to date on future updates andd prepareefor next wee's storm. but in tte meantime, enjoy the nice weather! see graphics. >> we're just a day away from the launch of the u.s.s. sioux city.

the navy combat ship. workers at a wisconsin shipyard have been building the u.s.s. sioux city. tomorrow, their hard work will be on display as the ship is revealed. sioux city mayor bob scott will be there for the festivities. "of all the cities in iowa, and all the cities in the united states there's only going to be what 19 or so of these ships built thaha we're unique enough to get one named after us. so i think it's really good and i think you know we can develop a relationship with the navy and this crew and it'll be long lasting." today there will be a mast setting. the christening of the breen is in wisconsin to cover the big event this weekend. more melting this weekend with warmer temps. ben?

night through wednesday morning that will bring some accumulating snow and high winds to the area, so you have the entire weekend to stay up to

wee the american people can't afford to wait for ideas that sound good on paper... but will never make it in the real world. the grandmother who has to choose between paying for medicine and paying rent... can't wait. the single mom who desperately needs a raise... can't wait. the stududt with a mountain of debt can't wait.

right now. i'm caucusing... i'm caucusing... i'm caucusing for hillary clinton. i'm hillary clinton and i approve this message. taking a look at the headlines. nissan is recalling 846,000 altima midsize cars for the third time to fix the same problem. it covers the 2013 through 2015

nissan says the mn hood latch can rust, allowing the hood to pop up while the cars are moving. in the two earlier recalls, dealers adjusted the latches and applied a lubricant, but if it wasn't applied evenly, the problem apparently can persist. a harvard study finds that women with sleeping problems may have a higher risk for type 2 diabetes. researchers analyzed health data or more than 130,000 women. they found a diabetes risk up to four times greater for women who had trouble falling or staying asleep, who snored, had sleep apnea or got less than six hours a night. federal trade commission is launching an effort to help victims of identity theft. its website will allow you to create a recovery plan. victims can describe their case in detail and they'll offer steps to take to get back your identity and limit the damage. the web address is identity

a hazard prompted the recall of 1.5 million shower rugs. the recall involves aqua rugs with four plastic suction cups, sold in beige and clear. they received 60 reports of consumers falling in the shower or the bathtub while on the rugs. consumers should stop using the rugs and contact tristar products to obtain a free replacement. they were sold at bed bath and beyond, dollar general and other stores, as well as akmazonamazon.com. kids never share their cereal with the trix rabbit. now, a real bunny is going to be on the cereal box, to show a switch to natural ingredientnt cute bunny. a cold snap left car brakes useless. the wheels were spinning as

it was an ice risk. amazingly, no accidents at the junction, despite the ice, according to local news sites. crazy stuff. let's get a check of the weather from al. >> that bus was unbelievable. >> unreal. >> wow. thanks, nat. here's what we have for your weekend outlook. beautiful weather along the eastern seaboard. temperatures getting a little more mild. look for more snow making its way into the inner mountain region. we have showers in central california. sunday, sunday, big storm coming on shore will bring a lot of wet weather to southern california, into the southwest. icy mix through the southwest. eventually making its way to the midsection of the country. rain around the great lakes. conditions. above normal temperatures for new england to the gulf coast and central plains.melting and lots of sunshine. our weather will stay pretty mild right on through the weekend with a pretty quiet weather pattern. we will stand a slight chance of but that system is small compared to the one moving into

start giving us some light snow by monday night and bring more snow chances on tuesday. we still can't tell exactly where in the midwest the heaviest of snow will end up falling, but we'll have a chance of getting some of that snow in siouxland and a lot of wind will come along with it as well causing our mid-week to become much colder. we'll obviously keep you posted as that system gets closer. >> that's your latest weather. willie, i should mention if you go to facebook.com/today's take, go to the sweepstakes page. our prize for today, a $500 kmart gift card. >> great. >> go to facebook.com/today's take. >> like us. >> register to win. >> i'm going to like us right now for $500 at kmart, al. final installment in our series, chill out. today, we have gadgets to keep you warm. >> there's something for your dog. we have the host of a podcast, here with your favorites.

>> which is in the microwave. go ahead and pull it out. heated it up for a minute. >> it's great for relaxation, tension. >> feels good. >> it has herbs in here. peppermint and rose mary. there are spots for your hands. >> it was so cold in the studio. i'm going to keep this on the whole segment. next is a hat. >> super warm and comfortable. this beanie is from tenenrgy. it has bluetooth headphones inside. six to eight hours of battery life. for you and i, we love those on the run. awesome. you can wash it after you take the headphones out. nice option for anybody outside. >> i like this, keep the pjs warm. >> anything better than heated

>> this is a pajama warmer. one temperature setting getting to 118 degrees. you can put towels in there, socks. of course, you can put pajamas in the pajama warmer. >> technology is always hard withr gloves to navigate. >> i feel like we've all been there. we're texting and like, why can't we text? you have to have compatible gloves. this is called any glove. $15 for a bottle. what i've done, you put two coats on here. what it does is make any glove touchscreen compatible, whether it's cotton or leather. the whole family can be on their ipad ipads. it'll warm up your gloves a little. . >> it'll worth it. >> what are the magic insoles? >> these are remote controlled wireless heated insoles, again, from hammacher. 110 degrees. you can control it wirelessly. even trim them if they're big.

great for staying outside for tailgating, keeping warm or people who work outside. >> these days, we have a crew. they're very hot. also a great game, i light his feet on fire during a segment. hates it. >> remote controlled. >> you control the level of heat. cool. >> exactly. >> charger. >> three-in-one. inexpensive option. what's nice, it's a flashlight, hand warmer and a phone charger. turn the dial and there it is. under $21. >> fantastic. >> this is actually going to fit in your glove box. this is a nice option for anybody in their vehicle. this will charge your battery. takes a little time, but nice to have and conveniently located in your car. also, power to g g from home depot. with your smartphone or tablet, as well. >> i'm not taking this off. you're not getting it back.

on today.com. let's send it off to al. something is cooking. >> nothing says comfort food like this meat and potatoes dish. shepherd's pie. show you how to make it from scratch. super easy and, oh, cheesy, after this. want to survive a crazy busy day? sfx: cell phone chimes start with a positive attitude... and positively radiant skin. aveeno positively radiantmoisturizer... with active naturals soy.

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and since i'm the one who has to do the laundry, i do what any expert dad would do. i let her play sheriff. i got 20 minutes to life. you are free to go. tide and downy. great on their own even better together. all week on today food, we have been showing you casseroles and comfort food. today, i'll show you shepherd's pie. the great thing about it, it's very versatile because you can use a lot of different things in it. you'll be fine you can do ground turkey or chicken or beef, whatever you'd like. you have potatoes, sharp cheese. eggs. so you basically make your mashed potatoes. whatever you do to make your favorite potatoes, that's great. i'll take some cheese.

is my go-to. >> four sticks of butter. >> yeah. >> pound of cream. >> quart of heavy cream. cream cheese, egg yolk, chives, salt and pepper. you're going to mash it all up. you make it and, boom, it'll be done. great. now you're going to brown up some -- whatever your protein is going to be. you do that. frozen vegetables. whatever you've got, you'll put all right? can of -- >> this is easy, al. >> it is. can of crushed tomatoes and saute that. while this is cooking down, you're going to make your -- kind of a gravy. take a nice, dark beer, like a guinness, and throw it in. then you're going to take a cube of bouillon. put that in. in the meantime, take a little

slurry, to thicken this up. all right? then you're going to mix, of course, the bouillon, which will be dissolved. put it all together. eventually, that'll cook down. you put it into a casserole, any casserole. then you're going to take your mashed potatoes. you're going to spoon them on top. >> so good. >> so delicious. >> i could scoop it out like that. >> and add the cheese, right? >> cheese on top. everything is already cooked. >> right. >> you don't worry about too much. what you're going to do, i put a little smoked paprika on there. >> cool. >> i put it on everything. >> little spice. >> spread on more cheese. i told our kitchen folk i'd like a lot more cheese. >> kitchen folk. >> they're like the woodland creatures. our kitchen folk. you're going to take this, put

for the last minute, you're going to put it on the broiler, just to brown it up a bit. there you have it. >> this is the perfect winter food. >> it is. >> right? >> comfort food at best. >> cheese, potatoes, protein, all the food groups in there. >> this is like, you should be at home with this. we should pack it up and go home. >> there you go. >> leftovers are good, too. >> exactly. >> patron state of food. >> thank you very much. >> you can find this recipe at today.com/food. also, a shoutout to andrea, one of our standout food club members this week. thank you for sharing much. coming up next, let's get ready to laugh. we have a good buddy, len, the world of hilarious sports, spanning the world after these see me. see me. don't stare at me. see me. see me. see me to know that psoriasis is just something that i have. i'm not contagious.

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have to see to believe with ben berman. >> you, bet. >> careful. >> al roker, don't waste good popcorn. good morning. >> they don't give us popcorn on the radio. this is great. big-time show. i should take it out of my mouth and read this. >> what do you got? >> i don't know what i got. last couple of months, eastern alabama winning the national title in college football. but what were definitely the highlights of the last couple months? we'll go spanning the world. >> let's do it. >> let's do it. >> unbelievable. >> al, pay attention and stop throwing popcorn. >> how about mike tyson? on your hoverboard, and down goes tyson. play ball, but who is this guy? i don't have a scorecard. i have to play against him. i'll check the name on his back. who are you? that's who you are. college football, who gets it?

to make the pass. >> good grab. >> two warriors tying their shoes at the same time. get it to another guy, three on five. scores anyway. oops of the month. here's a pass from out of bounds. crowder of boston. doesn't count. you have to gauge the wind because it's against you. doesn't work out well. favorite fans. never try to come between a new yorker and a free hockey stick. >> oh, boy. >> there are some solid new york values right there. there you go. >> in minnesota, from the wedding ceremony to the hockey game. and have a delicious burger for your wedding reception. he's not even paying attention unbelievable. best play by play. talk about exciting soccer. asleep. he's snoring. in the middle of the game. costa rica, the commentator

stopped the game, talked it over and threw the announcer out of the game. ! good-bye, charlie. talk about rabbit ears. >> oh, my. >> ready for your closeup? look out for the tv dron camera. oh, my goodness. the guy skiing right into the came terrible. sideline stunts of the month. helicopter, little dancing, power lifting. of course, my favorite, the sis sistine chapel celebration. maybe man wasn't mea to squat 855 pounds. >> it's going to hurt. >> no, it won't hurt. >> oh! >> but nobody got hurt. >> the toddler shows how it's done. [ screaming ]. >> yeah! >> oh, my gosh.

>> that's al after a good weather forecast. >> yeah! >> i love that. >> nicely done, len. >> len berman, good one. always good to have you.

>> this is "today" on n brks car repairs, home improvements, a family trip... it's not easy to afford them. what did marco rubio do? he put $22,000 in personal expenses on a republican party credit card. rubio's bad judgment caused a scandal and for five y rubio refused to release the credit card records. marco rubio: skipping major votes... all over the place on immigration... bad judgment. marco rubio: just too many questions. right to rise usa is responsible for the

hey. >> we had to run up here. >> hey, ladies. >> thanks for showing up. >> nice to be here. >> how long of a run is it from downstairs? >> like miles. >> with kcan you breathe? >> we ran into the karate kid. it's like the italian festival here. >> it is. we'll have fun with those two. we are going to have a blast. >> we're going to play some games. will you play with us? >> what? >> yes. >> how old these two are -- >> 974 years old. four months and three days. >> i bet.

>> they're coming up. i want to check in with al, see where our facebook likes are. >> that's right. let's find out right now. we check it out. boom. 88,000. this is grgrt. go to facebook.com/today's take. check out our sweepstakes. you could win today. just today. a $500 kmart gift card. check it out. go to today'y' take page on facebook.com. have a great one of the areas that i've been particularly interested in is the area of children. all of us have a responsibility, to ourselves, to our children, to each other. we intend to be sure that everybody in this room and every child in this state is somebody. no matter where they're born, no matter to whom they are born. our children's future is shaped both by the values of their parents and the policies of their nation. it's time to protect the next generation,

with possibility and hope, open up the doors so that every child has a chance to live up to his or her god-given potential. i've spent my life fighting for children, families and our country, and i'm not stopping now. (crowd cheers) i'm hillary clinton,

it's a weekend of ice, fun, and competition. the winter games in okoboji, iowa kicked off yesterday. the ice is thick, the weather is mild, and the conditions are expected to be great for the games this weekend. there are more than 100 events planned for the record number of people expected to attend this year. the games are always held the last weekend in january. things will wrap up with the burning of greens and a fireworks show tomorrow night. last night, camp high hopes in sioux city announced volunteer of the year award. one of the winners was alex castillo. she was the volunteer of the year. kristin burbank was awarded the special event volunteer of the year. the group volunteer of the year award went to "justice in deed". warmer temps heading into the weekend ben?

tomorrow with some limited sun. we might squeeze out a few showers saturday evening that could transition to some light snow by sunday morning. once that moves out early sunday, we'll have another decent day in the 30s and 40s, and caucus day on monday looks good too with highs in the 30s. it's monday night through wednesday morning that will bring some accumulating snow and high winds to the area, so you have the entire weekend to stay up to date on future updates and prepare for next week's storm. but in the meantime, enjoy the

they're one of the wall street banks that triggered the financial meltdown -- goldman sachs. just settled with authorities for their part in the crisis that put seven million out of work and millions out of their homes. how does wall street get away with it? millions in campaign contributions and speaking fees. our economy works for wall street because it's rigged by wall street. and that's the problem. as long as washington is bought and paid for, we can't build an economy that works for people. sanders: i'm bernie sanders, and i approve this message. nbc news. this is "today" with kathie lee