good morning. winning hand. donald trump with a strong lead heading into today's caucus in nevada. he plays tough guy with the protester at his rally. >> i'd like to punch him in the face, i'll tell ya. >> as he and marco rubio take swings at ted cruz over alleged d dirty tricks. >> every single day, something comes out of the cruz campaign that'septive and untrue. >> while the other candidates slug it out, it's trump on the way to the nomination. clash with the titans. bill gates sides with the fbi, saying apple should unlock the phone of one of the san bernardino shooters.

the government is asking for access to information. >> will apple relent under mounting pressure, or will it be up to a judge to decide? fighting for life. the mother of the 14-year-old girl shot by an uber driver in michigan is speaking out. >> it was a miracle. >> this morning, how that young girl proved she was alive even as the hopes of doctors were fading. and $75 million lawsuit. erin andrews gets her day in court after a stalker records her behind closed doors. was the hotel negligent for letting it today? happen. opening statements get underway today, tuesday, february 23rd, 2016. >> announcer: from nbc news, this i i"today" with matt lalar and savannah guthrie, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. good morning. welcome to "today." tuesday morning. i'm savannah guthrie.

this morning. the battle between apple and the government got more interesting. >> remarkable twist yesterday when the foundin father of the silicon valley speak out. bill gates. came out on the side of the government against apple. >> we've seen titans line up on different sides. our top story is politics. today's nevada gop caucus and, of course, next week's super tuesday contest are looming large for both parties. let's start with nbc national correspondent peter alexander. good morning. >> savannah, good morning to you from here on the vegas strip. donald trump is in the driver's seat in the e ce and, yet, his rivals have barely touched him. today will pit trump against the son of the city, marco rubio, who spent his childhood here and has more family here than in miami. ted cruz isooking to sneak in

>> reporter: it's starting to sound like its vegas act. trump, the inevitable. >> we have a big lead and don't want to blow it. we have to go all the way. >> reporter: venting his anger against a protester. >> we're not allowed to punch back any more. i love the o o days. you knowowhat they used to do to guys like that when they were in a place like this? they'd be carried out on a stretcher, folks. i'd like to punch him in the face. >> reporter: trump is polling ahead of his rivals in 10 of the next 14 states. on track of the delegates. >> if we nominate someone that half the republican party hates, we're going to be fighting against each other all the way to november. we'll never win that way. >> reporter: with jeb bush out, marco rubio is trying to lead the establishment's large. charge. ted cruz is cleaning up the mess within his campaign, with his top aide showing rubio blow off

>> i made clear in the campaign that we will conduct the campaign with the highest standards of integriri. >> rubio outraged. >> for them to take a video and transcribe words on it that's not what i said, it's disturbing. every day, something comes out of the cruz campaign that's not true. >> reporter: later, trump teed off on cruz. >> this guy is sick. there's something wrong g th thisisuy. >> reporter: despite speculation that a rubio-kasich ticket could prove formidable, aides say, na chancement chance. kasich described how he first won public office 40 years ago. >> we gogoan army of people who -- and many women who left their kitchens to go out and go door to door, and to put yard signs up for me, all the way back when, you know, things were different. >> reporter: the clinton campaign pouncing. it's 2016.

wants it to be. kasich later apologized for what he called an inartful comment. >> this morning, we're getting a snapshot of where things stand. a roll shows trump holding on to the lead nationally, 36%. ted cruz in n cond. marco rubio creeping up in the last week. what's noticeable in the numbers, rubio gained this last week with two key republican groups heavily represented in nevada. white evangelicals and voters who identify as conservative. savannah and willie? >> peter, thank you. > on the democratic side, bern sanders says he has no plans to leave the race, even with hillary clinton taking the lead in democratic delegates. clinton has 52 to sanders 51. clinton maintains a lead on the party leadership. a survey of super delegates finds 449 backs clinton and only 19 supports sanders. sanders told supporters monday he sees a path to victory.

y-e-s. we are in the campaign till the end. we h he gone much faster, much further than any or many people would have believed possible. >> they've got the resources to stay in. next up for democrats, the south carolina primary on saturday, where clinton holds a big lead in the polls. >> let's bring in chuck todd, moderator of "meet the press." chuck, we want to do something a little different. we want to run through the scenarios that establishment republicans are running through right now. how you would stop trump, who is in a commanding position. there are a couple scenarios people talk about. the first one, you mentioned, has cruz losing to trump in texas. explain. >> well, savannah, the cleanest way to stop trump is to hurry up d get this to a one on one between marco rubio and trump. what's theheastest way for that

on super tueay, for ted cruz to lose his home state of texas. it's a neck and neck race. this gives donald trump potential advantage because he can beat his rivals in their home states. if you're marco rubio, the fastest way to get to a one on one, cruz loses texas and, suddenly, everybody coalesces and a possibility of a one on one is there. >> chuck, we hear it every four years. a brokered convention. this is going to the convention and d dn't happened for mo than 60 years. cod this be the year, and what does that look like? >> it's possible. on super tuesday, of the 12 contests, essentially, everybody wins a few contests. rubio wins tennessee and florida. cruz wins texas. john kasich wins ohio. donald trump wins his fair share. it's three or four didn't candidates who win regional states or their home states and

march 16th. we'll know the day after the second super tuesday in march if there is onlnla 100 delegate lead for trump, we're going to a a brokered convention. >> there's one other scenario, and that's a late entrant to the race. >> this would be if trump is blowing through march and then the panic really sets in, and then it's all about simply denying him a majority of delegates, doioi whatever it takes. ere is still a filing deadline to make in the california primary. maybe a mittomney. this is a scenario someone outlined to me a couple days ago. mitt romney would file late, you may get favorite sons and daughters to file late, simply to try to beat trump, deny him delegates and crcrte another way for a brokered convention. i have to tell you, it's the most farfetched. >> romney said he won't get in but maybe it'll change. before we let you go, let's look

we laid out the challenges bernie sanders has. 20% of the delegates up for grabs on super tuesday. hillary clinton has a good sized lead in a lot of the states. >> she does. the only way this starts to be -- to get tough for her again is if, number one, bernie sanders comes within single digits on saturday in south carolina. and then from there, he's got to beat her in a big state. texas, tennessee, virginia, georgia. those are four of the biggest states on super tuesday. can he beat her in one of the four? if he does, i think maybe he has a chance to sort of reset this race. right now, it doesn't look possssle. >> chuck todd, thaha you so much. >> chuck, thanks a lot. there is a new wrinkle in the fight between apple and the fbi over a cell phone used by one of the san bernardino shooters. bill gates is weighing in and you might be surprised by what he's saying. nbc' justice correspondent pete williams has more on that. pete, good morning. >> good morning, willie. surprising because up until now, the other tech giants, including facebook's mark zuckerberg, the founder of twitter and founder

bill gates says apple should do what the fbi is asking. >> i think the people want the government to act on their behalf if the safeguards are there. >> reporter: bill gates, the founder of microsoft, says technology companies should be forced to cooperate with law enforcement in terror investigations. he disagrees with apple's ceo tim cook, that forcing apple to help the fbi open the iphone of san bernardino shooter syed rizwan farook will set a dangerous precedent. >> historically, the government has gone to phone companies and banks and lots of compmpies to gather informamaon. >> reporter: washington lawyerer ted olson, representing apple, says the government never demanded this much. >> privacy and liberty is important to the citizens of this country and to the people that buy apple products. are we going to allow terrorists to take that right away from us? without fighting back and asking the court to look intotohese issues?

york times," new york's police commissioner bill bratton also goes after apple. he asks, how is not solving a murder or not finding the messagagthat might stop the next terrorist attack protectinin anyone? a new poll shows 51% say apple should help the fbi unlock the phone. 38% side with apple. for gates, he says he welcomes the controversy. >> people feel like the government not being blind and being able to try and stop bad things before they happen, it's a good debate to be having. >> apple customers who support the company stand against the fbi plan demonstrations today in mo]e than 30 cities. they'll carry banners that say, don't break our iphones. >> fascinating debate. the other side, you have a former nsa and cia chief taking up for apple. you can't predict where this shakes out. pete, thanks so much. >> complicated questions. we turn to the tragic shooting spree in kalamazoo, michigan.

last night. we're hearing from the family of a teenagererlinging to life thisis hour, as police trtrto figure out a motive in the attacks that appear to be random. ron mott has the latest on this. good morning to you. >> good morning, savannah. 14-yeae-old girl is one of two survivors of the shootings. she's being treated behind me at bronson methodist hospital, as the community is struggling what drives someone to target unsuspecting people like her. >> she is alive, and she is fighting for her life. >> reporter: late monday, tears and hope from the parents of abigail kopf, the youngest victim in the kalamazoo shooting spree. >> abigail is strong, and she is a vibrant, beautiful young ladad and didn't'teserve this. >> reporter: the 14-year-old was shot at a cracker barrel parking lot, along with four women who are killed. at the hospital, abigail was pronounced dead. while doctors prepared for organ donation, she squeez mother's hand. >> it was a miracle on its own. >> reporter: doctors say the other survivor has a bullet

expected to recover. nbc news learned the girlfriend of tyler smith, killed alongside with his father in a car dealership, survived by hiding under a blanket in the backseat of a car. the suspect, uber driver, jason dalton, admitted involvement in the rampage that killed six people. >> he made a statement. >> from his responses, there's lilile remorse. reporter: no answero the questions why. >> i prefer to remain silent. >> reporter: authorities allege dalton was picking up uber passengers between shootings. >> we didn't have any red flags. prior to that day, his record looked good. >> reporter: dalton had bebe on the jojoone month, undergone a background check by the company and had a high rating before his arrest. hundreds came together at a vigil monday night to pray for the survivors and remember the victims.

due back in court in a few weeks on march 10th. savannah, willie, back to you. >> ron mott, thank you. by the way, coming up in the next half hour, we'll focus on how companies like uber screen potential employees. questions a lot of people have in the wake of this. in other news this morning, bill cosby's wife has answered questions under oath in a civil suit tied to her husband's alleged sexual assault of seven women. lawyers say she answered questions for two and a half hours at a massachusetts hotel. the seven women accuse her husband of defaming them by denying their allegations of sexual assault. the plaintiff's lawywy spoke after monday's deposition. he said he believes the jury will restore their good names and reputations. >> at the end of the day, a jury is going to determine who has more credibility. is it the seven women that we represent, or is it bill cosby? >> camille cosby will answer questions at a second deposition next month.

all claims of sexual misconduct. there is a threat of severe weather in the south today and al is watching that. >> right. not just today but into the overnight hours which can be potentially very dangeroro. we're watching the storms already firing up from houston to galveston, corpus christi, pushing to the east. we have a tornado threat from new orleans to houston, 21 million people at risk, large hail, tornadoes likely. overnight, tonigig into tomorrow morning, we've got a severe risk, a strong risk, from mobile to crestview. tallahassee involved, as well. damaging winds. wind gusts of 60 miles per hour. this will push to the east early today, the storms in texas. then they go to louisiana, new orleans under the gun. we move to this evening. the storms move to mississippi. damaging winds and really significant, long-tracked tornadoes overnight. wednesday, it tracks into georgia, the carolinas. we're looking for a tornado threat in the eastern carolinas,

over the next couple days, anywhere from 2 to 4 inches of rain. guys, the real threat here, especially overnight, we can't stress this enough, the danger of the tornadoes, especially long-track ones. there's a winter side to the storm, as well. >> we'll check back in a second, al. thank you very much. news frorooverseas. the syriananovernment saying it accepted a halt to combat operations in line with the u.s.-russian plan for a partial truce. syria would coordinate with russia to decide which groups and areas would be included in the cease-fire. isis is not included in the deal. secretety of state john kerry will appear before the senate foreign relations committee over enforcement of the truce. the ongoing battle over the u.s. supreme court and efforts to fill the seat of the vacancy left by the death of antonin scalia.

statements that then senator joe biden 24 years ago. june of 1992, biden said the senate should not consider a nominee during an election year. he was speaking hypothetically. the senate wasn't considering a nominee at the time. biden responded. as my record shows, i presided over the consideration of justice kennedy, reagan nominee, who was confirmed in a presidential election year. we have dramatic video out of australia. a construction crane was on fire in melbourne. that led to this. the arm of the crane crashing to the ground. thankfully, no o o was injured in the accidenen officials say the fire may have started in the motor of the crane. huge waves are causing big problems in hawaii. a historic swell hit the north shore of oahu u th waves jumping on to roadwawa and soaking cars. transportation o oicials were forced to clososthe highway. locals said the surf was the biggest they've seen in a decade. a few daring surfers jumped in for a ride. al is back with more on the weather. >> quick look at the national forecast.

the south. beautiful weather alonthe west coast. we have snow out of the rockies. it'll make its way east later on. we'll get to your local forecast in the next 3000econds. forecast dense fog g start off our workweek. while e e fog lessened during the day, the clouds did not. tonight those across the area with northern siouxland maybe seeing some minor accumulation through tuesday morning although we

an inch. we'll also have to deal with some areas of fog tonight into early tuesday. by wednesday, yet another quick moving system will give us another small chance of a light mix by the afternoon hours into the early overnight. skies should brighten better by thursday although sse cooler air will move in by then as well with highs only in the 30s by then. we'll warm up some into snowy sidef the storm will come up in ten minutes. >> al, thank you very much. opening statements begin today in sports reporter erin andrews' lawsuit. was ththhotel where she was videotaped by a stalker negligent? increased scrutiny over the vetting process in companies like uber in the wake of the deadly rampage in kalamazoo, michigan.

first, this is "today" on nbc. just ahead, kesha's dispute with the production she's accused of abuse. what he's saying about the

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it's mostly cloudy and 33 degrees in sioux city. an o'neill, nebraska man charged with stabbing his wife to death h told investigators he did it because he thought she was having an affair. 37-year old eduardo quintero is second-degree murder in the death of 37- year old guadalupe quintero saturday night in their o'neill home. investigators say they counted 34 stab wounds on her body. quintero told police he used a different knife to cut his own wrists. he was interviewed by a nebraska state patrol investigator of saturday at a hospital in o'neill. here's ben with the weather forecast.

40 tomorrow afternoon. we'll also see a decent amount of sunshine wednesday morning ahead

pass by late 7:30 now. it's tuesday morning, 23rd of february, 2016. it's like we're at a rave here. it's studio 1a. we have e nice crowd outside. we'll get out there in a couple moments. >> this is the lamest rave. i love you guys but as raves go, this is not a great rave. back inside studio 1a, here's a look at the headlines. republican presidential candidates are vying for votes in the nevada caucus today. donald trump holds another commanding lead in the polls as he looks to make it three wins in a row. at a packed rally last night, even trump seemed surprised by his performance so far. >> who knew this was going to happen?

middle of the pack and edge it out at the end, like a racehorse. we win in the end. but we have a big lead and we don't want to blow it. you know, frankly, we've got to go all the way. >> no republican has ever won new hampshire and south carolina and lost the nomination. a judge denied bail to the uber driver accused of going on a deadly shooting rampage in kalamazoo, michigan. jason dalton is charard with killing six people and attempting to kill two others. so far, no motive has been determined. and the white house has just announced that later this morning, president obama will make a statement on the detention facility at guantanamo bay, cuba, a facility he's vowed for years to close. nbc news will have live coverage on many of these stations. also this morning, sports reporter erin andrews and he $75 million lawsuit against a peeping tom who recorded her

for allowing it to happen. janet shamlian has more. good morning. >> it was a public personality's most private moments. this morning, sports reporter erin andrews is going after not only her stalker but the hotel that put him in the room right next to her. >> reporter: sports caster erin andrews walks into a national cobrtroom this morning, eight years after a man secretly recorded her naked in her hotel room, then posted it online. looking for a payback, she's asking for $75 million from the stalker. and the hotel where it happened. in 2008, a man, michael barrett, became obsessed with her and court testimony revealed that he followed andrews secretly from city to city. at this marriott hotel in nashville, according to court documents, barartt requested his room be placed next to andrews and he was granted the request. the complaint saying barrett

of andrews' door and recorded video of her changing and getting dressed without her consent or knowledge. andrews' emotions were raw still athe trial, agonizing over an embarrassing video that had been viewed more than 300 million times. >> i won't get this down in 30 months or 30 years. my kids, my future husband, will have to deal with this. >> reporter: barrett pleaded the nude videos and served 30 months in prison. he's free now. in a civil suit, andrews is suing barrett and marriott. marriott international is no longer part of the suit. the management company at the time. claiming the video caused and continued to cause her great emotional distress and embarrassment. andrews telling oprah. >> i kept screaming, i'm done. my career is over. i'm done. >> reporter: but she wasn't. she's appeared as a host and contestant on "dancing with the stars." her career as a sports reporter thrived.

showing the stalker victims you should be ashamed of yourself. i did nothing wrong. i should be allowed to live my life, but this isn't over. >> the jury of seven women and five men will hear opening statements this morning in a trial expected to last about two weeks. andrews' stalker will testify, but not in person. he will be on video. savannah and willie, back to you. >> thank you. now to more on the deadly shootings in michigan that killed six people and wounded two more. the uber driver now charged in the case picked up passengers during his killing spree. there were no apparent red flags and uber did run a background check on him. but some are wondering if more could have been done to prevent the tragedy, and how companies like uber vet their employees. nbc's tom costello has been looking into it. >> uber doesn't plan to change any policies following the tragedy in michigan. in large part, because the suspect had no criminal

in this digital age of apps and ride sharing and home sharing, how do you know if you're totally safe? >> reporter: it takes just a click and these days, you can borrow a total stranger's bedroom for a weekend get away, or summon a stranger to take you, even your kids, home. all you have to go on is the other person's customer rating. every uber driver is rated. >> you can rate them on your app. they can rate you. it's like, it's reliable. i trust them. >> reporter: uber says driver jason dalton had a close to perfect rating. 4.73 stars and he passed the uber background check. no criminal record. >> in a situation like this where a background check comes back completely clean and the motor vehicle checks are completely clean, we can't always prescreen and predict all behavior. >> reporter: to become an uber driver, applicants must provide name, address, social security

uber vets them through local and international databases. including court records. uber has been accused of not doing enough e eewhere. prosecutors l.a. and san francisco last year said the background checks missed criminal records of 25 drivers. including one who spent 26 years in prison for second degree murder. and uber doesn't run fingerprint checks of potential drivers like taxi companies do. >> because uber does not use fingerprints, it can't be sure the information on the background check belongs to the applicant. >> reporter: one challenge, say tech experts, services like uber are growing too fast to thoroughly check everyone. >> you're not sitting next to the person who is going to hire you and looking them in the eye e anconvincing them to hire you. >> reporter: uber drivers themselves have been targeted. beaten by enraged or drunk passengers. some violence caught on camera. from ride sharing to home sharing, it's a brave new world.

is no substitute for safety. >> so in this new economy of sharing, the question is whether simple arithmetic would suggest bad actors will get through, as in education, schools, in industry. as one uber rider said to me, i believe in what ronald reagan used to preach. trust but verify. willie and savannah, back to you. uber saying this guy had no we couldn't have caught him in the first place. >> 4.75 rating, so he was good to that point. >> tragic situation. let's talk about the weather. >> we're talking about the winter side of the storm. now, we have winter weather watches in effect from champaign, illinois, up to michigan. 11 million people under these watches. we're watching this storm system push up through the ohio valley. rain will change to wet snow in ohio and indiana. we expect it to continue east into the appalachians tomorrow.

parts of the northeast. snowfall is basically going to be really confined to northern michigan, where we could see over a foot up near saginaw. chicago, you'll see about 4 to 6 inches of snow before it's all overer that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happg dense fog to start off our workweek. while the fog lessened during the day, the clouds did not. tonight those clouds may produce a light mix across the arerewith northern siouxland maybe seeing some minor accumulation through tueday morning although we should all stay decently below an inch. we'll also have to deal with some areas of fog tonight into early tuesday. by wednesday, yet another quick moving system will give us another small chance of a light mix by the afternoon hours into the early overnight. skies should brighten better by thursday although some cooler air will move in by then as well with highs only in the 30s by then. we'll warm up some into >> that's your latest weather. >> al, thankou very much. coming up on trending, surprise stowaway. what a gorilla is doing aboard

>> what? >> got to be a good story there. first, why members of the nsington palace staff are threatening to go on strike and what it can what if there was another way to look at relapsing multiple sclerosis? this is tecfidera. tecfidera is not an injection. it's a pill for relapsing ms that has the power to cut relapses in half. imagine what you could do with fewer relapses. tecfidera may cause serious side effects, such as allergic reactions, pml, which is a rare brain infection that usually leads to death or seve disability, and decreases inour white ood cells. the most common side effects are flushing and stomach problems. tell your doctor about any low white blood cell counts, infections, any other medical conditions, or if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding or plan to breastftfd.

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the best part of wakin' up so, where do you want to start? i think this is a pretty good place. is folgers in your cup we're back at 7:43 with a dispute involving the royal family. >> the duke and duchess of cambridge's staff at kensington palace threatening to go on strike. keir simmons is in london with more. what is going on? >> hi, guys. good morning. this follows a history-making strike threat. that dispute was resolved last year, but now folks at kensington palace are threatening to walk out. what must the queen be thinking? >> reporter: at the royal palaces, they are worried abilityabout money. not the income the royals receive, but a proposed pay cut for some staff.

that william is a little,, well, underemployeye putting in few shifts as a helicopter pilot and taking a month off at christmas. kate was working hard just last week. >> how long does it take to change over? >> reporter: editing an online newspaper for charity. no, s sp the press, it's some royal staff threatening a strike. they're among those who work at william and kate's home, kensington palace. royal employees fear they'll lose $5,000 a year. the salaries cut by a charity that manages the palaces. former staff say when you work with the royals, you don't do it for the money. >> you've worked for the royals. why does someone work for the royals? >> the reason is, there is this privilege, the idea that i'm working next to a royal. >> reporter: it can't help that kensington palace just had an upgrade, costing $23 million.

to william and kate, the guys that buttered their toast and poured their tea are not involved. but the royals are famously frugal. the queen is said to walk around buckininam palace switching off the lights to save electric. true story. >> she turns the thermostat down. true story. >> a lot of places -- >> don't stand with the refrigerator door open. >> keir, thank you so much. just ahead, what is that? the massive fish the size of >> what? >> it has the internet buzzing. and the change coming to starbucks not sitting well with some customers. first, these messages. binge eating disorder, or b.e.d.,... ...isn't just overeating. it's a real medical condition. and while e e exact cause is unknown... ...certain chemicals in the brain n y play a role. b.e.d. is also the most... ...common eating disorder in us adults. hi, i'm monica seles. when i binged,... ...i wasn't in control. i never felt satisfied... ...no matter what the quantity was.

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all year long you worked hard to take care of business and take care of the people who matter most. so when your tax refund arrives, make it go a little further at walmart. from electronics, to home decor, even tires, get low prices on everything you need to get more fun out of your tax refund. walmart. we're back at 7:49 withh what's'supset a lot of starbucks customers today. carson is in the orange room with that story. $% >> wish me luck. starbucks announced on monday what they called exciting new changes to the rewards program.

right now, you get a star every time you make a purchase. sically, no matter what you order, you're earning points toward a free drink. come april, the focus shifts. you're going to get points based on how much you spend instead. if you are like me and get a simple coffee every day, it'll take $40 more to reach the free beverage each time. if you spend more, you'll get there faster. starbucks said this was the number one request heard from customers. tim wrote, thanks starbucks for punishing those of us that like regular black coffee. steven wrote, now i have to spend three times as much to gain any rewards. sincerely, a tall dark roast drinker. starbucks are encouraging people to hold out for what's to come. they tweeted, we'll be introducing new ways to earn stars s s the majority o o membersrs will earn stars just as fast, if not fast as before.

will have impact on customer loyalty. we'll find out in april. >> you lost me at, try to follow this. >> all the time at starbucks and not gettingng the rewards, i've been missingng ouou >> if this is our biggest problem, we're doing great as a country. thanks, carson. coming up, natalie's devil wears prada moment as cosmopolitan's newest intern.

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good morning and welcome to the morning club quiz. on the phone today is edith muller from bancroft, nebraska. the prize today is a family pass to the omaha

what's the name of the online retailer that's raising the amount of the minimum order that gets you free shipping? a) armageddon b) amalgamate c) amazon d) amazonia "free shipping" just got a little harder to come by for amazon's non- prime shoppers. if you spend enough money on the web retailer, you get free shipping. minimum amount -- so now you'll have to shell out 49 dollars before an order ships for free. that's a 40-percent increase from the previous minimum of 35 bucks. it's not clear when amazon made the change. amazon prime mberships --

ar it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, the it's 8:00 coming up app the angelina effect a new study shows women undergo preventative. the man is after she accuses of him of rape. some of the biggest names behind the popular singer. and she puts her best heel

take what it. today tuesday february 23rd, 2016. we're fm san diego and we love today. hi, kids. city. hello to my wife back in virginia. i love you. it's 8:00, tuesday february 23rd, 2016. i know i say this every day, but we have the best crowds, everyone so excited, so happy to be here. they're here with bells on so

good day for a selfie. >> all right. >> that's a good thing because matt's under the weather. he'll be back soon we hope. coming up, celebrity style for the rest of us. we're going to show you to tackle the season's hottest pull off. >> you can pull that off. >> first, let's head inside for a check of the morning top ststies. >> good morning. donald trumps hosting a big lead. trump unloaded on a heckler at a rally saying he'd like to punch him in thehe face. cruz fired a top aid on monday that tweeted marco rubio of brushing off the bible. with jeb bush now out of the race rubio is hoping to pick up support from establishment

a rift is growing over apple's refusal to help the fbi hack the iphone. rallies in favor of iapple are being held coast to coast. a new poll shows over half of americans back the fbi's effort to force apple to help investigators. micro soft founder bill gates weighing in in support of the fbi saying this is a specific case and not a general request. a new report finding that more women are opting for preventative mast ektmys than ever before. doctor, od.

are getting by more than one-third more mastectomies than ever before. >> ihink women are being more aggressive about their car and mo^e proactive, but according to experts the biggest risk for a woman in terms of cancer really has do with their genetic predisposition as well as family history. according to some studies that have been done, what seems to be driving this more aggressive approach is more fear and anxiety and maybe some misperceptions about what their risks are becausetudies would suggest a more conservative approach as the same outcome. >> what is alarming is according to the same study is the number of women getting double surgeries is triple. are they taking off more than ththeed to? >> according to experts if you're family history is not

early stage breast cancer your outcome would probably be similar if you do a similar conservative approach. that's why experts are slightly alarmed. >> this study is not taking into account because this is 2015. >> that's a good point. i think if this trend continues we might even see a higher number in the next five to ten years if that effect actually comes into play. >> thanks so much. charlie sheen's revelation that he was hiv positive may have had a life saving impact. more people googled h h than ever before. researchers at san diego state university say the number of searches for hiv information jumped by 2.75 million and after

reports mentioning hiwas mo. a fish getting revenge on a young hocky fan. it is a new hampshire tradition you toss a fish on the ice, but when the tradition called this guy instead flocked, he couldn't heave the slippy fish over the glass. it took him three times to achieve the goal. his embarrassing performness a a viral sensation. >> how did it get in there? >> it's part of a tradition. >> they bring it into the arena.d% >> i think if you don't get it over twice you just quit, put it back in your bag and bring it home for dinner. a heated case for pop star kesha. >> she is fighting to get out of her reporting contract.

dispute is speaking out for the first time. >> reportete the high profile court battle between a well known pop star and producer is turning into what some are calling a trial by twitter. she's getting support from singers and celebrities after the judge denied her bid to be released from a recording contract. her alleys took to twitter hashing the #free kesha. lady gaga writing i'm ina of your bravry. taylor swift is doning $250,000. >> she is going to have a difficult road ahead of her to win in the court of law, however she seems to be winning big time

>> in 2014 she sued dr. luke claiming he sexual, physically she said he forced himself on her while she was intoxicated and drugged. momoay dr. luke tk to twitter saying i didn't rape her and i have never had sex with her. and she was like my little sister. in a statement his attorneys accused her of usingng vicious smear campaign to ruin his reputation. dr. luke is suing her claiming she made up the allegation so she could get out of her recording contract with him and sony music. her attorneys argue her career is at a stand still because she won't work with dr. luke as her contract requires, but his attorneys say she is already free to record and release music

a pruser if she doesn't want to and he claims she isn't free is a myth. it has marked bitter lawsuits in three different states with both sides digging in now fighting in and out of the courtroom. for today nbc news. let's bring in the legal analysys good morning. let's be clearar about what this is. we haven't gone through a trial. this isn't the end of the case, this is the beginning of the case. so she's saying he abused me, i don't want to work with him, i want out of my recording contract and sony is saying you don't have to work with him, but you are bound by y yr contract. >> this is a preliminary injunction h@aring which sw early in the case and her lawyer had to meet a high legal bar and the judge said he didn't meet that bar. >> this is just the first step and she lost this first legal battle. it doesn't prevent her from coming forward with her case.

she makes of all kind of abuse with dr. luke what happens now? does she have to prove them? >> there will be a trial and her attorney can bring forth witnesses and evidence. but at this point the judge says there's no injury because you don't have to work with him anymore. all she's claiming is that sony wouldn't promote her inn the future. >> o o those allegations of sexual assault dr. luke says she gave a statement under oath at a previous deposition saying it didn't happen. is that a problem for her? >> it's a huge problem for her. we know that sexual assault survivors do tend to say no it didn't happen, but it's tough for her to overcome. >> is it a problem that she never went to law enforcement and reported it? >> i think it's less of a problem. she did bring these claims forward with her lawyer.

these celebrities and they're saying free her, but she is free to record as long as she stays with sony. if these allegations were proven, would that be prove enough to get her out of her contract with sony. >> i think it's a winning point for sony thatt she doess not have to work with dr. luke anymore and they've pointed out they've lived up to their end, they've spent millions of dollars promoteling her music. they want to promote her music, they both want to make money, sony wants to go forward with her. >> well see what happens. thank you. >> coming up next how do you handle it when you're at a restaurant and your order is messed up? > how about gorillas in space. and the not so fabulous side

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8:14, otherwise known as trending time. we've all been on job interviews

you see youelf in five years? what's your biggest weakness? >> right. >> the ceo of charles schwab takes a different approach. he takes the person to breakfast. it's not scones and green tea. beforehand, he tells the restaurant to mess up the job applicant's order, to get something wrong to see how they react. do they get upset, frustrated, are they understanding, solution-oriented? he told the "new york times," we'll all make mistakes. the question is, how will we recover and will we be respectful to others when they make them? it's a way to look inside someone's heart rather than just their heads. >> great idea. >> i like it. >> it's interesting. on the other hand, if you were on a job -- >> one has to do with the other. >> if you were o o a job intervieie apparently, it goes on to say that some bosses think if you're not assertive and don't say, i ordered the salmon, not the

i think if i were on a job interview and they brought the wrong order, i wouldn't say one thing. i'd just eat it and concentrate on the interview. >> usually, you're too nervous anyway. >> not me. >> i wonder if anybody has shown up and gotten so mad and flipped the table order when the order was wrong. that's my guy right there. >> you're hired! all right, the wordsmola mola mola. it's this massiveish captured on video off the coast of portugal. it translates to ocean sunfish. it is the largest bony fish in the world. the species can weigh up to 5,000 pounds. the size of a small suv. this videos up to more than 4 million views. >> so cool. >> mola mola doesn't translate to terrifying fish? >> no. >> giant forehead. >> look at the shape of that thing. >> translates to a special at red lobster. >> wow.

>> sorry. now to another strange creature, at least in space. what is king kong doing aboard the international space station? of course, it's not king kong, it's astronaut kelly having fun, chasing around a fellow crew member. where did he get the gorilla suit? >> acme. >> no, a care package sent by his t tn brother, mark kelly. scott kelly wraps up his year-long experiment in space next week. >> that's what happens when you spend that much time in space. >> great excuse to play benny hill music. >> they're american heros but it might be time to come home. >> it's their entertainment.t. now to the pop star who just outdid the king of pop. a fictional president gets a real honor. >> rihanna is first up this morning. where's the tequila?

>> i'll try and make it through. rihanna has a huge milestone here. she has a new song called "work" featuring drake.topped the billboard singled chart, giving her her 14th hit. she has one more than michael jackson. they'd been tied at 13. with the new honor, rihanna is only behind the beetslesbeetles. celine dion getting back to her residency where she'll honor her husband, who died after battled cancer. the show will kick off at 10:30 eastern time. if you'd like to see it, the concert will be live streamed on her website. finally, a big honor for one of the nation's most respected and feared leaders. you respect president frank underwood, right? >> of course.

carolina who is not above mau niplation -- murder? kevin spacey played him. it's part of a publicity stunt for the series which debuts march 4th. pretty good. that's your pop start today. tequila less. >> you keep a little flat today. >> thanks a lot. al, how is the weather looking? >> we have winter weather here in this area. first, again, want to reiterate the threat of severe weather down south. for today, this afternoon, we've got a risk, strong risk, from new orleans to hat. crestview to al, significant overnight tornadoes. we're watching wet snow in the northeast. it'll start around noon. as it makes its way to the north, snow in boston, rain along the coast.

parts of pennsylvania all the way up to vermont. heavy thunderstorms on wednesday in the afternoon. we look for some places picking up 2 to 3 inches of rain in the dense fog to start off our workweek. while the fog lessened during the day, the clouds did not. tonight those clouds may produce a light mix across the area with northern siouxland maybe seeing some minor accumulation through tuesday morning although we should all stay decently below an inch. we'll also have to deal with some areas of fog tonight into early tuesday. by wednesday, yet another quick moving system will give us another small chance of a light mix by the afternoon hours into the early overnight. skies should brighten better by thursday although some cooler air will move in by then as well with highs only in the 30s by then. we'll warm >> that's your latest weather. willie? >> al, thank you very much. day two of our up for the job "today" series, where we put our skills to the test by being interns. >> al tackled the san diego zoo on monday. natalie, it's your turn. >> i've always loved fashion and

"cosmopolitan "cosmopolitan," the best selling young women's magazine in the country. sounds like a dream, doesn't it? i filled in for the executive assistant to the editor in chief. what a day it was. "cosmopolitan," here i come. oh, my gosh. i feel like i'm in my dream right now. i'm living my dream. i like that one. i like that one. i like that one.e. little bititike "devil wears prada." hello. >> how are you? >> natalie morales. i'm your assistant for the day. >> good. my boots have got dog hairs on them. can you find a lint roller? >> sure thing. i'll be in with a lint rollll. >> thank you. >> where is the lint roller? >> first off, tea, little bit of milk, no sugar. lipstick, i can't remember the color. i need endless supplies of it.

banana looks like it's going to give off poisonous gases. get rid of it. these shoes, i want to meet the designer. try to get them in this afternoon. >> okay. >> that should do for now. >> is that all? >> it is for you, but i'll have more things in a couple of minutes. >> okay. tea, tea, tea. she likes earl gray. there is none. there's english breakfast. this is her cup but it doesn't fit. okay. >> natalie, natalie, when city for a cup of tea, i need it immediately. otherwise, had i been in a desert, my inner organs would have shrivelled to the size of a walnut and i would have dehydrated. >> i'll get it first next time. fancy, look at that. can i take a message for her? >> what is the chef's special in the cafe?

>> i need more tickets for "hamilton." >> she'd like to see, if possible, if you have four show. >> this friday? >> i need some jewels. >> she would likikto see if she garber. friday, four tickets. >> lipstick, i need to reapply. >> needle in a hay stack. >> i think i found a lipstick. >> long earrings, feathered. >> natalie, try this on. >> cuffs. >> sensational color. >> too matchy? >> no. >> could you get that out? >> where do i begin? >> armani, we want the gown. >> 3:00. >> think we got "hamilton" for friday. amazing. i'm so good at my job. >> the perks of the job.

these are amazing. oh, my gosh. >> what are you doinin i just wanted to make sure -- these are the jewels. i wanted to model them for you. >> you did, did you? i would take them off now and put them somewhere. then will you disinfect the earring, natalie? >> sure. >> i just got in trouble. >> let's goo down to a shoot later on. i want some help. >> little lower. bring it down a little bit. natalie? >> sure. >> it was super fun, ladies, thank you, but i have to get back to the office. bye. >> bye. >> you called? >> i just wanted to let you know my actual executive assistant is back, heather. you are relieved of your duties. i thought you did a good job. i thought you did a good job. i wasn't expecting a lot and, actually, you exceeded my expectations. if you need a reference, you can give me a call. >> yours now.

>> i'm out! >> so glad to be back at my real job. obviously, a lot of that was -- >> did you get a ticket for "hamilton"? >> no. but thank you to joanna and her staff. they were swewe to let me tag along and pretend to be their assistant assistant. if you want to be an intern there, you have to be in college to receive credit for it. she is tough but is a great boss. >> she didn't notice you never got her the tea. >> don't tell the secret. >> too late but you'ree out. >> her assistant said, i switch it on her all the time. no idea. sorry! >> you threw her under the bus. >> that's her last day today. thank you very much. seriously, how'd you get "hamilton"? >> know a guy at the front office. >> very resourceful. >> had to do something for my job, right? >> working hard. tomorrow on "up for the job," it's carson's turn. he went to the airport. >> had a great time. the men and women at delta work hard.

it'll get you to the destination safe and you never think of the men and women and what t ty do

riverboat casino will argue its case to the iowa court of appeals today. penn national gaming subsidiary "the belle of sioux city" is challening decisions made by the iowa racing and gaming commission. it claims regulators were wrong to grant a license to the hard rock hotel & casi sioux city. penn national was one of three groups that submitted proposals for a land-based casino in woodbury county. previous rulings in the case have supported the i-r-g-c in this matter. here's meterologist ben dorenbach with the forecast.

behind a passing boundary and could gust up to 30 miles per hour at times. that should calm

here we go 8:30 now. it's tuesday morning, 23rd of february, 2016. starting to see the clouds roll in in the northeast. we'll get some rain over the next few days. some storms in the south that al has been tellingng us about. good day, nonetheless. >> look att the biggest loser. he was just crowned the biggest loser, live on the finale last night. he's here and we'll talk to roberto hernandez. >> also, we're catching up with debra messing. a lot to talk to her about, from her hit show to dirty dancncg. what's going on there? >> you'll find out.

the box office but before that, it was a book. we have your guide to the year's hottest reads before they hit the big screen. also, tailor made celebrity styles you can pull off yourself. don't forget to pack your bags, bring a friend and be on the plaza friday morning for a chance to win a spontaneous trip to los angeles over the long leap day weekend. make a creative poster to show us how you'd spend your extra 24 hours. the trip includes three nights at the line hotel, a bike tour on the beach, dinner and much more, courtesy of discover los angeles. you have to be over 18. don't forget, come to the plaza an friday and rsvp at today.com/plaza. now let's say hello to berto hernandez, the 36-year-old who lost a160 pounds and crowned the biggest loser. roberto, good morning and congratulations. >> thank you. >> what a whirlwind. you were just crowned last night. were you shocked? >> you know what?

september 9th. the first day filming. was i surprised? yes and no. i was working to it and i was a finalist. >> your brother.r. >> you lost almoshalf your weight, 160 pounds or so, down to 188. >> yes. >> how do you feel physically? >> amazeing. my body felt beat up because i was working hard. at home you wake up, go cycling and during lunch, i would run three miles. after school, i would go and do a crazy workout. you know, workout constantly every day. i took off maybe four days from the time i begun. >> how did it change your life? >> it was amazing. my little boy jacob tells my wife he misses the fat daddy

more. but that'll change. i won't work out four times and he will get more of my time. >> congratulations to your brother, as well. it's awesome. >> backstage, i was like, yes, yes! hugging strangers. i didn't care who it was. it was amazing. >> you look great. congratulations, berto. thank you. now let's get a check of the weather. >> way to go, roberto. let's show you what we have going on for today. severe weather down through the gulf. watching that for tornadoes possible and strong storms. icy mix here if the northeast. look for sunny out west. 58 in seattle. tomorrow, we're expecting that sunsnsne to continue in the southwest. 82 in l.a. 79 in phoenix. the eastern half of the country, if you are flying or driving, it is going to be a real nightmare. windy and snowy. could be almost blizzard like conditions in the u.p. of michigan and parts of the upper great lakes.

and risk of strong storms along the mid-atlantic coast tomorrow and down to the southeast. western third of country looking good. that's what's going on dense fog to start off our workweek. while the fog lessened during the day, the clouds did not. tonight those clouds may produce a light mix across the area with northern siouxland maybe seeing some minor accumulation through tuesday morning although we should all stay decently below an incc we'll also have to deal with some areas of fog tonight into early tuesday. byy wednesday, yet another quick moving system will give us another r all chance o o a light mix by the afternoon hors into the early overnight. skies should brighten better by thursday although some cooler air will move in by then as well with highs only in the 30s by then. we'll warm up some i >> that's your latest weather. savannah? >> al, thank you so much. emmy winnerr debra messing is a new york city detective in the "mysteries of laura." when her sister looks to be in trouble, she pledges all she can do to help. take a look. >> if you want to avoid going to

murdered yourself, let me help. i will protect you. pinky swear. >> debra messing, good morning. >> good morning. >> are we going to have a cliff cliff-hanger? we're almost to the end of the season. >> tomorrow is the first half of major. don't miss it. trouble. >> you'd think froro that clip that we were close, from the pinky swear, but not so much. >> is she le the dark side? >> she's the dark side. she's the bad one, obviously. >> i know she has her red hair >> she does. >> you look like sisters. >> it was actually my 11-year-old son roman's idea. >> really? >> they were like, we want to

>> he was like, debbie ryan would be great. >> he's like a casting agent now. >> we watched "jesse" for years. >> the show is doing well. i was thinking, if you could invent a show, wouldn't you have made this up? it's funny, quirk i cany, mystery, you have romantic tension with the ex-husband. it has a little something for everybody. >> it does. it has everything, for me. it really does keep me on my toes, and it keeps me creatively interested. you know, i love really difficult murder mysteries, to figure those out. i love that we keep the audience really questioiong up until the last minute. you know, the characters that have been created, they're accessible, quirky and people you can care about. we have a lot of fun. >> you mentioned your little boy, he's 11. is it a good mom job, being on a regular show like that? are you able t t spend the time

>> well, doing an hour-long drama is pretty brutal. >> yeah. >> but the great thing is, he's literally grown up on the set. thanks to "will and grace." it's his second home. after school, he'll come over and hang out. he knows everyone's name and says "action" and "cut." >> and casts your sister, apparently. >> very well, also. >> you put a cute picture up on social media of his backpack, which is enormous. >> come on. >> look at that thing. i mean, it's insanity. you said it was like a microwave oven, from the '70s. >> what does a 6th grader need that requires that much? you're going to be crippled byy the time you're 12. >> you're going to have a back back like your mama. >> i have to ask about dirty dancing. there is an abc remake and you'll be baby's mom. are you flipping out?

it's been retooled. the character is really interesting. you know,singing, dancing, it's -- "dirty dancing," come on. choreographer from "hamilton." >> really? >> yeah! i mean, come on. >> did you love "dirty dancing"? >> i loved it. it was the thing that kept me on my path to b bng an actress. it was the first time i remember sitting in a movie theater and seeing a character and saying, i could see myself playing that character. like, she's quirky and not traditionally beautiful. >> no one puts her in a corner. >> no one puts her in a corner. >> debra messing, thank you so much. you'll be back later with kathie lee and hoda. "mysteries of laura," season finale tomorrow night, 8:00/7:00 central on nbc. the remarkablbl life story o o the 1010year-old woman who danced her way through the white house and stole hearts.

nbc. we're back at 8:41. looking back, moving forward. our series in honor of black history month. >> monday on trending we introduced you to the 106-year-old who fulfified a a lifelong dream off visiting the white house. hoda has more of her story. >> you're welcome. this is a good one. you can't help but smile when you see the video of virginia mclaurin, dancing with the president and the first lady. the meeting was part of a black history month reception following a letter and even a phone call to the whitete house.e. for viviinia, it was a moment of joy after living through some of the darkest times in our nation's history. >> hi! >> how are you? >> i'm fine! >> reporter: a meeting for the ages. >> you want to say hi to michelle?

virginia mclaurin becoming america's sweetheart when the meeting prompted her to start a dance party in the white house. >> what's the secret to dancing at 106? >> reporter: stunned by her newfound fame. >> i didn't think i'd ever be this famous. i said, why didn't they do it when i was young? >> reporter: an accomplishment she once considered unthinkable. >> i thought i would never live totoet in the white house. i am so happy. >> i just started dancing. i said, i'm here to represent black history month. >> look at him! right there. >> a blala wife. that's me. >> yes! >> reporter: virginia's visit to 1600 pennsylvania avenue marked a milestone along a difficult journey that began in a segregated south carolina. born in 1909 as the daughter of

age 14 and had two children. three years later, she became widowed and moved to washington, d.c. where she worked as a nanny. she lives there today and volunteers as a foster grandparent to elementary school children. with no signs of slowing down, she not only serves as an inspiration to the students, but to all of us. including the first family. >> i want to be like you when i grow up. >> reporter: from only knowing a world of black and white, to one now allowing us to celebrate all colors. >> i didn't think it'd ever happen, but i i sure did happen. and i got a chance to see it. >> are you so happy right now? mclaurin thought it was time for a career change at 55 a seamstress. in 94 she started volunteererg at schools becausesehe loves the education aspect. she did this write-in campaign since 2014, trying to get into the white house.

to you if it makes it more convenient, and she got to. >> now she's the star. sheup upstaged everyone. >> love her. >> she's seen a couple world wars, civil rights, and now an african-american president. thanks. great story. nine books to read before they hit the big screen this

first, this is "today" on nbc. we are back at 8:46. hollywood hit the jackpot in 2015 with book to big screen adaptations like mockingjay part 2, insurgent and the martian. this year, there's a new crop of literary mies heading to theer theaters. if you want to read before you see them, we have your guide. welcome to the "today" show lounge. i've never seen these chairs before. >> we should have some scotch. >> we should.

let's go through some of these. 19 books you put out. ople need to read before they hit the theaters. we'll start with kids. first one, "the bfg." >> it tells the story of sophie as she's taken to the land of giants by a big, friendly giant. it's directed by steven spiel burg -- steven spielberg and has been in the works forever. >> how about "the jungle book"? >> everye is in this movie. you have bill murray. so many people are involved in the story. it was all cji, except for the actor, and it'll be this visual masterpiece. >> we have this one with alice, "through the looking glass." this hasn't been a movie before? >> no. you had "lal isalice in wonderland." johnny depp is returning as the mad hatter a a this time, alice is helpipi the red queen. it's a twist.

this is a huge business for hollywood. "hung er gam you have the "hunger games," wilight "twilight." sosohis is "the fifth ve." >> it's this story of basically one woman from ohio trying to make her way and find her brother. >> how about "allegiance"? >> so exciting. this is the third -- basically taking the third book, likeith thee "hunger games" and "harry potter," and dividing it in half. this is the first halff the end of the series. >> i get excited when i hear tim burton is directing something. >> so this was on the top of the y.a. best seller's list for so long. it's a creepy, awesome book. that's what teens love. they want a little goth. they want to look at the dark side. there's not a lot out on this movie yet. they're keeping it under lock and key. i'm excited to see what they do with the story. >> nobody better to do that than tim burton.

>> highly anticipated ones for adults. "girl on the train." >> it's this year's "gone girl." i'm just going to say it. incredible thriller. you have emily blunt in the starring role. she's taking this train every day and looks at this couple w w seems p pfect but they're not and she gets involved. >> can't go wrong with dan brown, "inferno." and my man tom hanks. going on a wonderful adventure. trying to find his way and figuring out, always trying to solve the puzzle. >> last but not leasas for the whole family, j.k. rowling, "fantastic beasts and where to find them." excited about. world. it's here in new york city. wizarding world comes to america. it's j.k. rowling's first screenwriting credit. this is a textbook. this is one of the books that harry potter would read at hog hogwartz.

have to go to theaters to see. >> love your passion. we have a lot of reading to do, my friend. >> keep reading, willie. >> siaee ya. fashion looks from hollywood, how to pull them off without fear. first, this is welcome to subway, what can i make for you? how 'bout crunching into flavor with a fritos chicken enchilada melt? pulled chicken in enchilada sauce, melty monterey cheddar, fresh veggies and fritos corn chips! hurry in today!

denim, there are a lot of faion trends to try. mastering it is not always easy. we have today.com style editor emily here to show us how it's done. >> good morning. >> you see things celebrities are doing and go, can i pull it off? that's what this is about today. >> exactly. i think it's 90% confidence. 10% know-how. just wear the trend or have it wear you. >> okay. >> you are wearing the first friend, a beauty trend, blue makeup. you have a little blue mascara going. >> can you see it there? >> we see it on some of t stars. >> kerry washington. but not as scary as the '70s powder blue. it's a metallic blue. mascara, maybe an eye liner, just a touch of blue. >> if you have blue eyes, do more of a purple, they say? >> just so your color really pops. it doesn't compete again it's color of your es. >> w wld you do it with your nails and match or is that too much? >> fun colors for the nails is always a good choice. >> another trend, wide leg pants.

celebrities. it's really cute. especially people who are petite, they often think, i don't know if i can do this. >> that's the question. even nicole richie pulls it off. the vertical lines make it look long and lean. >> this is our model corrin. >> she's rocking the look. it's about the fit. high wasted pant, hug the smallest part of the body and skim all the way to thefloor. >> heels are a must. >> they are. maybe after the boot. >> exactly. >> any height ladies should wear heels with it, to keep the l l long and sleek. >> if you are petite,o you want to do the fitted top as opposed to something like a blouse? >> absolutely. she's wearing a body suit. you don't worry about the top coming out. it's completely going to stay exactly where it is. it is nice with the back of your body suit, it has a wide hole too

thank you so much. the next trend. let's show celebrities because we've seen this look a lot. it can be very, very chic. >> sure. olivia wilde is wearing a big '70s bobo. she can wear this to work at a law firm and go out afterwards and look trendy. what's fun is wearing it a little to the side. it's pinned a little off kilter. wearing like a trendy mini skirt keeps it modern and sleek. >> how do you make sure it's not too, i guess, like too pris sisy, i guess? >> it's about keeping the shape, hugging the waist, long mini skirt and heels. keeping the hair down so it doesn't feel too pilgrim and covered up. >> no age limit on wearing bows. you can even do a bow in your hair. >> it's a trend, wearing a little ribbon, maybe a loose, low ponytail.

>> thank you so o ch, aerial.riel. denim on denim. you ve to get this one right. here, we see, is that kate hudson? >> gwen stefani. it's a great airport look. >> we have janelle modeling it. >> it's about two different washsh. don'ttatch the two of them. also, treat denim as a neutral. add a pop of color with your lips or earrings or a fun pattern. she's wearing the leopard flats. it's like wearing black but better. >> basically, you don't want to have the denims watch completely. have two colors or textures. >> also, don't stick with jeans and a button down shirt. a skirt. >> let's bring the models back out for one more look. ladies, terrific. you, too, emily. more fashion tips, including how to pull off a hat, head to our

casey affleck is coming up.

weather.plans are in place for sioux city to build a disc golf course in grandview park. it will be a nine-hole course for beginniners and be located near the water towers. total cost for the course is 45-hundred dollars, and the mayor's youth commission has already raised all the money. ot many high school l udents know about disc golf and they don't know 'oh there's a nice golf course at sertoma park', well this one--it's a beginner, anyone can do it," said tayvin scmoll mayor's youth commision it will be sioux city's 5th disc golf course. it will be built this spring. here's meterologist ben dorenbach with the forecast...

obstacles you'll encounter today as we see a touch more sunshine than we did yesterday which should help raise temperatures a degree or two into the 40s again this afternoon. winds will also pick up out of the northwest behind a passing boundary and could gust up to 30 miles per hour at times. that should calm down tonight as allowing us to drop down into the 20s before returning to near 40 t torrow afternoon. we'll also see a decent mount of sunshine wednesday morning ahead of another weak system et to pass by late tomorrow which might drop a light rain/snow mix tomorrow evening. once that

forecast looks fairly dry this morning on "today's take," oscar winner adrian brody is here talking about his new thriller "backtrack." casey affleck on playing the good cop in "triple 9." plus, theadgets that will get you lookokg gorgeous. all that and more 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 tuesday morning, february 23rd, 2016. i'm willie along with natalie and al. tamron on assignment.

middle school, "the symphony" by marley marl and the juice crew. '89, i think it was, great video. fantastic. >> i remember that. >> great bass line. >> terrific. >> let's talk about this apple story. it keeps getting more interestin a new twist, the fight between the fbi and apple over unlocking an iphone used by one of the attackers in the san bernardino mass shooting. microsoft founder bill gates weighed in, siding with, surprisingly some people, the fbi fbi. saying tech companies should be forced to cooperate with law enforcement in terror investigations. >> i do think people want the government to act on their behalf if they feel like the safeguards are there. historically, the government has gone to phone companies and banks and lots of companies to gather information. people feel like the government not being blind and being able to try and stop bad things before they happen, it's a good debate to be having.

of the other silicon valley executives immediately side with apple and tim cook. including facebook and twitter and google, as well, actually came in on the side of apple. he's an outlier and one of the founding the fathers of silicon valley taking this position. >> he says there is a risk even among silicon valley, as they're having the debate we are having. >> slightly more than half side with the fbi as opposed to apple. >> on the flip side of it, general michael haden, the head of the nsa and cia says apple has the right idea. you can't predict where people are going to come down on this. >> it's fascinating. i think bill gates said, it is a good conversation to be having. absolutely. we have the freedom, and it's protected by our constitution. >> like the freedom to look like an idiot when you're texting and walking. >> i'll refrain from using the word idiot because i've been known to do this.

>> not into a sculpture but this happens on rock center on a daily basis. not only me but i've seen people walk into pillars. this is this giant sculpture in england, called the kiss. the problem is, it's in the walking path. that's not going to present a problem, is it? well, it sure did. this is 20 feet high. they say within hours of installation installation, they had eight people walk right into it. >> how do you miss that? >> it is giant. but it is right in the walking path. >> over the path. not in the path. >> in their defense, the people who walked into it. >> no. this hits close to home for you. >> i nearly walked into a table. >> don't move it. enough of youthis. >> put a camera on it. >> epic fails. fantastic. >> apparently, they had to remove it.

>> oh, come on! >> the artist said that texters apparently were not looking, of course, while walking. there you go. the huge sculpture is part of their every day routine, like in that walking path. >> i can't believe they caved to texters. >> come on, guys! word gets around. >> stand your ground. i love this next one. if you've got more than one kid, you have them together, something is going to happen. check out this little girl who had some fun with her baby sister. with a permanent marker. >> oh, boy. uh-oh. >> what? >> i did what? [ laughter ].

>> going to leave her scarred later in life, the little sister. >> she doesn't say anything. looks at her mom like, what's your problem? >> even her face. >> that's the best part. >> when the little one turns around. front and back. >> binky in her mouth. >> with her little butt. i love it. >> zebra. >> come on, zebra. >> i love zebra. >> and the lady gaga, covering the one eye. >> is that a sharpie, a permanent marker? >> that's my question. >> permanent marker. >> it's not going to go off easily. >> the cheek, the face. >> oh, my gosh. >> clearly momsn't that upset. coming in with the camera and asks the question. >> i can't wait ten years from now what the payback is going to be. >> all-timer. >> it's great. it'll be one of those where dad and mom embarrass the younger sister by whipping that out to a date. look what the girls did back then. >> coming out at the rehearsal

>> sibling rivalry there later in life. >> so funny. you had a late night. a citizens brigade? >> the upright citizens brigade, the improv group here in the city and now across the country, it's started by amy poehler, and they do night late, like a late night show, in front of a live audience. this amazing group of young actors and writers at ucb write the material, they produce the show. they d all the hard work. they're so funny and talented. they're the future. they'll be the next "snl" write writers wrwrers. it's like a talk show. i did a monologue, had a side kick. nicolle wallace was my guest, talking about the campaign. >> this man killed it. listen to this. >> oh, no. >> 24 hour mcdonald's in south korea will try serving beer to atatact customers because if

while sitting at mcdonald's at 2:00 in the morning, it's, boy, i wish everyone here was more drunk. >> i wrote some monologue jokes and they wrote some. >> you have a future, my friend, willie. ve always said,, you'll go places someday. >> ucb is awesome. if you get a chance to see a show here, l.a., wherever, check them out. so much talent in that place. >> well played. we're asking, we got this shoutout going. moms, send us their wildest first concert looks. dads cannot apply. >> why? >> i don't know. it's what they said. >> not fair. >> i don't think it is either but that's what this is. for a chance to be flown to new york and win a head to toe makeover, courtesy of jcpenney. natalie shared her wildest first concert look when she was 14 and went to spandal ballet. share your throwback pictures. we'll pick a winner at the end

go to our facebook page,, facebook.com/"today'y'take" and tell us why we should tell you rock your style. speaking of going to our facebook.com/"today's take" page, today is day 20 of our 25 days of give aways. what do we have, britney? >> a cook ware set. >> worth $500. we want to break 300,000 today. what are we at? 296,000. come on, people. facebook.com/"today's take"." check it out. all right. also, check this out. what's going on here. somebody hit my button. there you go. now, we've got heavy thunderstorms pushing through galveston, houston, moving to louisiana. for today, we've got a tornado threat stretching from new orleans to hattesburg. the cononrn is tonight to tomorrow morning, the risk of long-track tornadoes. a significant threat overnight.

we'll be watching this very, very closely. system would be pushing up and through. behind it, snow from chicago, st. louis into detroit. we are expecting to see the rain change to wetnow there. heavier showers and thunderstorms. the rain into snowor interior parts of the northeast. some places picking up upwards of a foot of snow before it's all over. that's what's goin dense fog to start off our workweek. while the fog lessened during the day, the clouds did not. tonight those clouds may produce a light mix across the area with northern siouxland maybe seeing some minor accumulation through tuesday morning although we should all stay decently below an inch. we'll also have to deal with some areas of fog tonight into early tuesday. by wednesday, yet another quick moving system will give us anoher small chance of a lig mix by the afternoon hours into the early overnight. skies should brighten better by thursday although some cooler air will move in by then as well with highs only in the 30s by then. we'll warm up some into the first part of the weeken >> facebook.com/"today'y'take."

guess what, guys? guess who is at our "today's take" table. this guy. youngest person ever to win an academy award. now, starring in a new psychological thriller, adrian brody, ladies and gentlemen. >> yeye >> we have an actor. joining us after this. pet moments are beautiful, unless you have allergies. then your eyes may see it differently. only flonase is approved to relieve both itchy, watery eyes and congestion. no other nasal allergy spray can say that. when we breathe in allergens our bodies react by over producing sixixey inflammatory s sstances that cause our symptoms. most allergy pills only control one substance. flonase controls six. and six is greater than one. complete allergy relief or incomplete. let your eyes decide. flonase. 6>1 changes everything. crisp garden vegetables. no artificial flavors. philadelphia garden vegetable.

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if your family outing is magical for all the wrong reasons. you may be muddling through allergies. try zyrtec for powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec i idifferent than claritin . because it starts working faster on the first day you take it. try zyrtec . muddle no more . 13 years ago, adrian brody shot to super stardom after winnnng the academy award for st actor in "the pianist." >> now, adrian sees dead people in his new thriller "backtrack," about a psychologist haunted by

take a look. [ screaming ]. >> okay, i'm out. you can let go now, willie. >> sorry. >> i was like, it's coming. something is going to happen. >> here's the thing, you know it's coming. >> i know, but it still happens. >> adrian brody, what was this like, shooting this thing? >> it was -- it's lots o o fufu i mean, interesting thing about shooting anything scary is it's much less scary when you're making it. but i love the world of the super natural. i love -- it's the beauty of film. you can really get to a place that can actually be frightening and exciting. and it's safe.

you play a therapist, is that right? >> yeah, i play a psychologist who is going through a traumatic time, where his -- he recently lost his daughter, and he's mourning. he realizes that all of his patients are deceased. >> oh. that's frightening. >> that's hard to bill. >> exactly, it is. >> al gets to the heart of the matter. >> never going to see any money with that. >> very true. that was the least of his concerns, by the way. >> wasn't thinking about accounts payable in those moments. so you're restoring -- or you have restored this 1800s stone barn, basically, in upstate new york. >> mm-hmm. >> you've made a documentary about it, which is a story to itself. any creepiness there, in something that old?

i actually, when i first moved into the house, it was an enormous process, to rebuild this place. the first few nights of living there, which was after a seven-year journey, so it was only a i managed to live in the main house, and i was in bed, trying to go to bed, and i heard what sounded like snoring. it was coming from the second floor. i crept downstairs. literally, the house was snoring. i was scared. it was my own little -- >> and you still w!nt to live there? >> i have no choice. i spent seven years working on the place. i'm living here. >> how do you get a breathe right strip for a whole house? >> open all the windows. >> wow, crazy.

>> it went away. i still don't know what it was. it was the first night. i thought it was some strange thing with the pipes but it wasn't. >> somebody just let you know. >> i woke him up and he s syed awake, iguess. >> you're a braver man than me. thank you so much. "backtrack" is available on directv until it hits theatats this friday. the good guy in the new action film "triple 9." we'll catch up with casey hey, you're going to do great. hi. choose your match

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casey affleck starred in a string of hit films from block busters like thehe "oceans" trilogy to "gone, baby, gone." and the assassination of jesse james by robert ford, which earned him an oscar nomination. >> now, he stars in the new high-strung, "triple 9," where he plays a clean, new detective surrounded by a group of dirty cops. here's a look. >> this ain't a game, chris. the rules around here are different. this ain't buckhead, all right? you better learn fast. >> man, let me tell you something, you h he a problem with me, put it on the table but don't question me like you know something i don't know. you let an [ bleep ] in front of the neighborhood, you have explaining to do. >> casey affleck, good morning. >> morning. >> you've got a hell of a cast, between anthony mackie, aaron

>> what was the other name? >> you raced through that one. >> it's how we do it. >> i was counting on you carrying me through. >> norman. >> what was it like on the set with all that acting power? >> i was the pain in the ass. they're all so good. you know, this movie, i didn't always see them. they weren't always on the set when i was there. woody's first day, he is a nut, he showed up and he got an easy scene. driving down the street, park his car, get out and walk up the steps to see me. that's fairly simple. woody takes the first take, races down the street and hits a tree, jumps out of the car, head is bleeding and runs up the path to me. i figured everyone would descend

a minute. woody kept to the scene. okay, i guess that's how we play it here. >> oh million, my gosh. >> did it make it into the final cut? >> yeah, it did. >> that's always better, the unexpected, right? >> who is your guy in this landscape of characters? who is your character? where does he fit in? >> i play sort of the only -- i'm the good guy. a bunch of bad guys. house how's that? >> that's good. >> you play a lot of different and intense roles. what drew you to this, besides an incredible cast? >> well, you know, i've played a lot of bad guys, and i wanted to do -- this was kind of different. he was -- he has a simple, moral code, simple sense of right and wrong. that seemed appealing to me. i wanted to play a police officer. i liked the script. the director is really talented,

>> you got a lot in the works. your latest film at sun dance, "manchester by the sea," has a lot of buzz. tell us about that. >> that is written and directed by kenny and it was one of these -- it was a beautiful strict. everything he writes is exceptionally well written. i don't know what else to say. it was a small movie, and it ended upturn turning out great. took it to sundance. i've been in a lot of small movies that didn't turn out great. this one turned out better than i could have imagined. >> a lot of good talk about that. you worked with your brother ben quite a bit. you've said he's your sounding board when you're considering a role. have yoto ask you about that. >> he is. >> have to ask you about "batman." are you as excited as his fans are? >> haven't --

>> i am very excited. is is the movie everybody wants to see. "batman versus superman." >> versus "deadpool," yeah. >> exactly. >> i'm excited. i want to see it, yeah. >> he sounds excited. >> thrilled. >> let me try that again. i'm so excited to see this movie. >> much better. >> barely contains himself. >> drive a car into a tree. olay regenerist renews from within... plumping surface cells for a dramatic transformation without the need for fillers. your concert tee might show your age...your skin never will. olay regenerist. olay. ageless. and try regenerist micro-sculpting eyeswirl. it instantly hydrates to plump and lift. if your family outing is magical for all the wrong reasons.

try zyrtec for powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec is different than claritin . because it starts working faster on the first day you take it. try zyrtec . muddle no more . eee graphics. >> sioux city officials have approved a plan by verizon to build a new cell tower in morningside, over the objection of neighbors. the tower will go up behind the 900 block of south rustin street. more than 30 neighbors had signed a petition arguing the tower would hurt their property values. the proposal was sent back to the board of adjustment. but city officials approved the plan on monday. "we sent it back to them (board of adjustment), they took in additional input from the neighbors, from verizon representatives and they decided not to rehear it," said sioux city council one resident says the value of about 80 homes in the area will be negatively impacted if the

ben's here with weather.

drop d >> announcer: this is an nbc news special report. here is willie geist. >> good morning. in just a moment president obama will make a statement from the roosevelt room at the white house. we expect him to put forth a plan for closing the prison at guantanamo bay, cuba. this is thing the president has vowed to do since he first ran for the job as a united states senator. we have already heard clear opposition from senate majority leader mitch mcconnell and it will stir up debate on the campaign trail. let's bring in jim mik la she

as 1,800 detainees at guantanamo bay. that number down to 91. under the president's new plan as many as 35 could be released to other country and it could cost the u.s. $460 million to build detention facilities for 30 to 60 of those detainees who would be brought to the u.s. and inncarcerated many most likely for life. we have republican majorities in both chambers of congress. let's go to the president right now. good morning, everybody. in our fight against terrorists like al qaeda and isil we are using every element of our national power. our military, intelligence, diplomacy, homeland security, law enforcement, federal state and local, as well as the example of our ideals as a country that's committed to universal values.

rights. in this fight we learn and we work to constantly improve. when we find something that works, we keep on doing it. when it becomes clear that something is not working as intended, when it does not advance our security, we have to change course. for many years it's been clear that the detention facility at guantanamo bay does not advance our national security. it undermines it. this is not just my opinion. this is the opinion of experts, this is the opinion of many in our military. it's counter productive to our fight against terrorists because they use it as propaganda in their efforts to recruit. it drains military resources. with nearly $450 million spent last year alone to keep it running.

additional costs needed to keep it open going forward for less than 100 detainees. guantanamo harms our partnerships with allies and other countries whose cooperation we need against terrorism. when i talk to other world leaders they bring up the fact that guantanamo is not resolved. moreover, keeping this facility open is contrary to our values. it undermines our standing in the world. it is viewed as a stain on our broader record of upholding the highest standards of rule of law. as americans we pride ourselves on being a beacon to other nations, a model of the rule of law. but 15 years after 9/11, 15 years after the worst terrorist attack in american history, we're still having to defend the

process where not a single verdict has been reached in those attacks. not a single one. when i first ran for president it was widely recognized that this facility needed to close. this was not just my opinion. this was not some radical far left view. there was a bipartisan support to close it. my predecessor, president bush, to his credit said he wanted to close it. it was one of the few things that i and my republican opponent, senator john mccain, agreed on. and so in one of my first acts as president i took action to begin closing it. and because we had bipartisan support, i wanted to make sure

i indicated that we would need to take our time to do it in a systematic way and that we had examined all the options. unfortunately during that period where we were putting the pieces in place to close it what had previously been bipartisan support suddenly became a partisan issue. suddenly many who previously had said it should be closed backed off because they were worried about the politics. the public was scared into thinking that, well, if we close it somehow we will be less safe. and since that time congress has repeatedly imposed restrictions aimed at preventing us from closing this facility. now, despite the politics we have made progress. of the nearly 800 detainees once

have already been transferred to other countries. more than 500 of these transfers, by the way, occurred under president bush. since i took office we have so far transferred 147 more. each under new significant restrictions to keep them from returning to the battlefield. and as a result of these actions today just 91 detainees remain. less than 100. today the defense department, thanks to very hard work by secretary of defense ash carter as well as his team working in concert with the office of management budget, today the department is submitting to congress our plan for finally closing the facility at guantanamo once and for all. it's a plan that reflects the hard work of my entire national

so i especially want to thank ash and his team at d.o.d. this plan has my full support. it reflects our best thinking on how to best go after terrorists and deal with those who we may capture and it is a strategy with four main elements. first, we will continue to securely and responsibly transfer to other countries the 35 detainees out of the 91 that have already been approved for transfer. keep in mind that process involves extentsive and careful coordination across our federal government to ensure that our national security interests are met when an individual is transferred to another country. so, for example, we insist that foreign countries constitute strong security measures. and as we move forward that

60 and potentially even fewer detainees remaining. second, we will accelerate the periodic reviews of remaining detainees to determine whether their continued detention is necessary. a review board, which includes representatives from across government, will continue to look at all relevant information including current intelligence and if certain detainees no longer pose a continuing significant threat, they may be eligible for transfer to another country as well. number three, we will continue to use all legal tools to deal with the remaining detainees still held under law for detention. currently ten detainees are in some stage of the military commission's process, a process that we worked hard to reform in my first year in office with bipartisan support from congress.

to these commissions they are very costly. they have resulted in years of litigation without a resolution. we are, therefore, outlining additional changes to improve these commissions which would require congressional action and we will be consulting with them in the near future on that issue. i also want to point out that in contrast to the commission process our article 3 federal courts have proven to have an outstanding record of convicting some of the most hardened terrorists. these prosecutions allow for the gathering of intelligence against terrorist groups. it proves that we can both prosecute terrorists and protect the american people. so think about it. terrorists like richard reed,

la who tried to blow up a plane over detroit, the man who tried to bomb times square and the bm, they were all convicted in our article 3 courts and are now behind bars here in the united states. so we can capture terrorists, protect the american people and when done right we can try them and put them in our maximum security prisons and it works just fine. in this sense the plan we're putting forward today isn't just about closing the facility at guantanamo, it's not just about dealing with the current group of detainees which is a complex piece of business because of the manner in which they were originally apprehended and what happened.

in our history. it reflects the lessons we have learned since 9/11. lessons that need to guide our nation going forward. so even as we use military commissions to close out the cases of some current detainees, which given the unique circumstances of their cases make it difficult for them to be tried in article iii courts, this type of use of military commission should not set a precedent for the future. as they have been in past wars, military commissions will continue to be an option when individuals are detained during battle, but our preferred option, the most effective option for dealing with individuals detained outside military theaters, must be our strong proven federal courts. fourth, and finally, we're going

secure location in the united states to hold remaining detainees. these are detainees who are subject to military commissions, but it also includes those who cannot yet be transferred to other countries or who we have determined must continue to be detained because they pose a continuing significant threat to the united states. we are not identifying a specific facility today in this plan. we are outlining what options look like. as congress has imposed restrictions that currently prevent the transfer of detainees to the united states, we recognize that this is going to be a challenge and we are going to keep making the case to congress that we can do this in a responsible and secure way, taking into account the lessons and great record of our maximum security prisons.

are submitting today is not only the right thing to do for our security, it will also save money. the defense department estimates that this plan compared to keeping guantanamo open would lower costs by up to $85 million a year. over ten years it would generate savings of more than $300 million. over 20 years the savings would be up to $1.7 billion. in other words, we can ensure our security, uphold our highest values around the world and save american taxpayers a lot of money in the process. in closing i want to say i am very clear eyed about the hurdles to finally closing guantanamo. the politics of this are tough.

public are worried about terrorism and in their mind the notion of having terrorists held in the united states rather than in some distant place can be scary scary. but part of my message to the american people here is we're already holding a bunch of really dangerous terrorists here in the united states because we threw the book at them and there have been no incidents. we've managed it just fine. and in congress i recognize in part because of some of the fears of public that have been fanned oftentimes by misinformation there continues to be a fair amount of opposition to closing guantanamo. if it were easy it would have happened years ago, as i wanted, as i have been working to try to

but there remains bipartisan support for closing it. and given the stakes involved for our security this plan deserves a fair hearing. even in an election year. we should be able to have an open, honest, good faith dialogue about how to best ensure our national security. and the fact that i'm no longer running, joe is no longer running, we're not on the ballot, it gives us the capacity to not have to worry about the politics. let us do what is right for america. let us go ahead and close this chapter. and do it right and do it carefully and do it in a way that makes sure we're safe, but -- but gives the next president and more importantly future generations the ability to apply the lessons we've learned in the fight against

that doesn't raise some of the problems that guantanamo has raised. i really think there is an opportunity here for progress. i believe we've got an obligation to try. president bush said he wanted to close guantanamo despite everything that he had invested in it. i give him credit for that. there was an honest assessment on his part about what needed to happen. but he didn't get it done and it was passed to me. i've been working for seven years now to get this thing closed. as president i have spent countless hours dealing with this. i do not exaggerate about that. our closest allies raise it with me continually. they often raise specific cases of detainees repeatedly. i don't want to pass this problem on to the next president, whoever it is. and if as a nation we don't deal with this now when will we deal with it?

on for another 15 years, another 20 years, another 30 years? if we don't do what's required now i think future generations are going to look back and ask why we failed to act when the right course, the right side of history and of justice and our best american traditions was clear. so, again, i want to thank secretary carter, you and your team did an outstanding job and you have shown great leadership on this issue. with this plan we have the opportunity finally to eliminate a terrorist propaganda tool, strengthen relationships with allies and partners, enhance our national security and most importantly uphold the values that define as americans. i'm absolutely committed to closing the detention facility at guantanamo. i'm going to continue to make the case for doing so as long as

a good moment for everybody to step back, take a look at the facts, take a look at the views of those who have been most committed to fighting terrorism and understand this stuff. our operatives, our intelligence officials, our military, let's go ahead and get this thing done. thanks very much, everybody. >> president obama addressing the country from the videos velt room at the white house laying out his plan once again for closing the detention facility at guantanamo bay, cuba. let's bring in chuck todd nbc's police cal director moderator of "meet the press." the president twice invoking president george w. bush as someone who once shared his view that guantanamo needs to be closed. >> you know, on his first full day of his presidency i remember sitting there watching him sign an executive order that said he was closing down guantanamo bay. that prison within one year. here we are nearly eight years later and it's still not closed.

he had -- he had more bipartisan support for shutting down gitmo eight years ago than he does today. he had john mccain ready to work with him, lindsey graham ready to work with him. they don't do it. already before the president spoke this morning, willie, a major democratic senator from colorado, a state that houses one of these big prisons that these guys might go to said they are not coming to colorado. this is a plan that the president wanted to get out but it has very little support in congress on a bipartisan basis. >> that's a democrat and majority leader mitch mcconnell calling this an ill considered crew side by a president. much more right now on nbcnews.com and msnbc. al is going with the retirement account. we want to pay down debt. it's because the interest rate on the debt is probably higher -- oh, my goodness. throwing away the money. >> i was celebrating my win. >> the interest on the debt is probably higher than the return

if you're getting matching dollars in the retirement account, that's the way to go. always for the matching. >> that's what i was thinking. >> question two, getting a refund this year, like you do every year, is this, good, or that, not so good. >> how could getting a refund be bad? >> al is the winner. it's not so good. it means you're giving uncle sam an interest free loan on your money. what you should do, go to human resources or adjust your withholding. if you're not putting 100% of the max in your retirement account, bump up that contribution at the same time. >> okay. >> win all around. question three, if you're looking to add value to your home, should you use your refund to do this, get a new front door, or that, get a new garage door? both of you going with the front door. yes. a new front door will cost you about $1,200. you get 100% of the money back if you sell. paint it red.

>> all right. >> should you, many people who work exclusively at home are afraid of taking the home office deduction because it's an audit flag. should you take it or should you skip it? >> feels like a trick question. >> willie is going with that, skip it. al said take it. al is correct. take it. >> trick question. >> if you truly have a home office. it has to be -- pay attention, class. >> it seems obvious. i didn't think it'd be the answer. >> if you ever a home office and you don't take the deduction, you're leaving money on the table. but it has to be a dedicated home office space. interestingly, the irs is only auditing about 1% of filers, except for people who make over $1 million a year. they're auditing 7% of those. >> okay. >> this or that? if you're going to use your refund to replace an old appliance appliance, should bit a

ten-year-old refrigerator? willie is going washer. al is going refrigerator. there you go. the answer is this. washers made before the year 2003 have really been improved upon. you'll save yourself about $180 a year by energy star.com. who is our winner? >> we get one more. >> all right. this or that? according to a new survey from hello wallet.com, what are most people spending more of their refunds on this year? is it travel or clothing? >> the opposite to keep it interest. >> it is travel. people are spending 67% more. people are spending more on travel this year. goes with spending money on experiences rather than things. makes you happier and who is the winner? al is the winner. >> i'm getting a bag of money, baby! >> wow! >> whew. >> thanks for playing our game. >> thank you. congratulations, al roker.

this is "today" on nbc. i like zebra. >> what? >> a zebra. >> oh! >> when your big sister has a permanent marker and a little too much time. >> oh! >> so precious. >> i can't handle it. >> the best video of the day. >> that wins. >> zebra. >> we have debra messing. thank you for asking. >> hello, debra messing. >> hello. >> beautiful new book coming out called "come to the garden." i got the audio. >> yes, you did. >> and we'll cook something wonderful.

>> roasted chickednesday morning ahead of another weak system set to pass by late tomorrow which might drop a light rain/snow mix tomorrow evening. once that exits, the rest of the extended forecast looks fairly dry with more sunshine and highs in the 30s and 40s with some 50s expected on saturday! see graphics. >> an o'neill, nebraska man charged with stabbing his wife to death told investigators he did it because he thought she was having an affair. 37-year old eduardo quintero is charged with second-degree murder in the death of 37- year old guadalupe quintero saturday night in their o'neill home. investigators say they counted 34 stab wounds on her body. quintero told police he used a different knife to cut his own wrists.

identify human remains found in a farm field near tilden, nebraska. hunters found the body on sunday. investigators say it apppears to have been in the body has not been identified but is believed to be a male. investigators say there is no reason to suspect foul play at this time. ben's here now with the forecast.

with a little bit of patc from nbc news, this is "today." with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> hello, everybody. it's booze day tuesday. it's february 23rd. cheap thrills. how do you pronounce her name? >> sia! >> so in our kitchen slaving away is emmy winning and the always fun debra messing. and deborah's not just hanging around the kitchen doing nothing. she's live tweeting our chat. so what's your handle?