ice cream in the big apple. more snow blast in the middle. what's behind this crazy weather neighborhood, plus, sinfuling as of kindness on the third anniversary at the new town elementary school shooting. still perfect after week 14 in the nfl, a possible new player in the race for president. this is an important day. i made a big decision. i'm entering the race for president of the united states of perk. >> "early today" starts ririt now. >> good morning. i'm gigi stonewoods, tomorrow's republican presidential debate has the potential to be the most, pelosiive yet. which iowa caucus seven weeks from today, there is a lot to talk about. not the least of which, donald trump' latestproposals. his lead in the gop race might not be as secure as he o oe thought. nbc's kristen welker reports.

trump out of the top spot, the billionaire businessman again turned up the heat. >> i don't think he's qualified to be president. lookokt the way he's dealt with the senate where he goes in there like, a you know, frankly like a little bit of a maniac. >> reporter: a new nbc "wall street journal" pul poll puts cruz township points. . . trump who has resisted attacking cruz, his one-time supporters is letting loose. >> i'm more capable because i have a much better temperment. because i get along with people much better than he does. >> cruz stayed off the sunday circuit, merely tweeted thank you in response to the iowa poll. both surveys provide a snapshot

are reacting to his remarks last week. >>onald j. trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of muslims entering the ungsz. >> controversial comments again. >> we have a problem. i'm not looking to be politically correct. i'm d dng this to do the right thing. >> reporter: the new poll is an indication of just how fluid the race is, potentially giving rivals an opening. >> the most important thing is commander-in-chief, that requires having an understanding of the complex issues or foreign policy. i think he struggles to articulate that. >> for dr. ben carson who now once topopd the polls dropping 18 pints to 4th place with 50 days until the iowa caucuses, it's still anyone's gain. >> that was kristen welker reporting. overnight, more brand-new numbers from our nbc news "wall street journal" poll. nbc tracy potts joins us from walk. good morning, tracy. take us through the lateses figures.

numbers tell us what would happen before every top candidate before hillary clinton if that would happen today. donald trump is still the national front runnnn, bobo take a look, he would have a hard time beating hillary clinton if that election happened today, losing by 10 percentage points, ted cruz who is s sging among republicans would lose to clinton by three percentage points. interestingly, those at the top of the field you see there for the republicans can't seem to beat her right now. but the nexex two candidatat could, ben carson, despite a huge slip in our national poll would still beat hillary clinton by one point and marco rubio could beat herbie three points, which is really the biggest spread right now. so it's an interesting pick when you take a look at the fact that those that republicans are most supporting are least likely to beat hillary clinton or unable to beat hillary clinton, but those that are sliding in the

as well actuatly seem to have the best chance against her. really sururising information. tracy potts, thanks. if you are into politics, you will definitely get a kick out ofthis. comedy star will fer rem, bringing back a legendary persona. >> the field of republicans out there is so messed up. it mes you miss me, doesn't it? jeb, o', boy, poor jeb, you got to admit. it's a good plot twist i turned out to be the smart one. [ applause ] okay, i wish you would have asked me about the exclamation point on the end of his name. look, i don't like the taste of broccoli. but it doesn't get any tastier if you call it broccoli. >> winners starting one week from tomorrow. for much of the country, it has not felt like it. at least two tornadoeses ripped

a state of mortgages was declared east of dallas where up to 50 homes were damaged. train cars were knocked off tracks by high winds t. unseseonable weather caught the area off guard. >> it's kind of unusual to have december toadoes. this is just not t`e time of the you're that weyear that we wrap up for this type of thing. in dawg washington, cherry blossoms were inin bloom. in kansas, it was the other extreme, snowstorms dumped half dollar size flakes and made for a slipperi commute in dodge stay. rafael miranda will have your forecast in a few minutes. there has been another deadly officer-involved shooting. it happened saturday near los angeles. two sheriffs deputies confronted a man apparently carryingng a gun. they fired 33 shots at him. video taken by a bystander is

the response is excessive. we should warn you, the images are disturbing. here's'snbc's dotty schwartz. >> reporter: tense moments in los angeles as deputies opened fire on a man with a gun. this cell phone video is extremely graphic. we paused it here. but as the shooting continues the man identified as 28-year-old nicholas robertson falls and tries to crawl away. as deputies continue to fire 33 shots in less than 25 seconds. it's unclear how many of those bullets struck robertson. >> put your guns down. >> protests over thet shooing as friends and family of the father of three took to the streets in outrage. >> he's crawling on his knees. he was crawling on his knees. they kept shootingng why? reporter: the los angeles sheriffs department quick to them their side of the story. providing pictures showing robertson with a ..45 caliber handgun.

the frame,e, weapon in hand. he was behaving oddly in a bizarre fashion. >> investigators received calls about shots fired before they arrivedp when they pulled up, deputies say robebesonic forred their commands and was walking towards a gas station. >> there are two women and three given i children at a gas pump within five feet of him at the time. >> reporter: they are calling for the justice department to get involved. while law enforcement is hopeful sharing more information may help calmm the west. dotty schwartz, nbc news, los angeles. a warning from health officials in northern california over the week. hundreds of newbwrns were exposed to tuberculosisi from mid-august to mid-november, more than 350 newborns may have come in contact with a nurse that tested positive for tb. officials started informing parents on friday since babies

are advised to treat their newborns with antibiotics for the next six months as precaution. the force is strong in the new "star wars" movie. they haven't announced which theater it will be playingin. what is not a secret the record smashing to bes expected. boxoffice.com is predicting it to be a surprise blockbuster. "saturday fight livenighlive" decided to poke fun at fans. >> new action physicals and play sets for ages 6 and up. >> way up. >> battle each othe >> leave it in the box. > i am right. >> i have one to display, one to

>> why? >> it takes a confident man too admit his love of action physicals. that's why we have you. a confident man giving us the weather. >> gigi, you we talking record smashing numbers, we are talking record numbers across the northeast again today. yesterday we had temperatures in the 70s. we broke long-standing records in areas of the northeast. we are tracking a storm that will bring rain into the mid-wewe, much more of a wintry scene out there. let's talk about the warm weather again, 64 degrees in central park. temperatures trending about 25 degrees above average for the big cities. we are tracking rain from chicago towards the great lakes. so watching up some travel delays there. heavy know possible in places like salt lake city and the rockies. watch out for delays and the rockies. this snowstorm spreads into the plains tomorrow. morerenow possible there. showers exiting the northeast. a little bit cooler for tuesday. 61 degrees for your high in central park. well above average. finally cooling down to the 50s

that's a look at your national forecast. now, here's a look at your day ahead. and we're looking at rain showers across chicago and the great lakes. travel problems ere. >> t tt rain spreads intoo the great lakes and the northeast as we head throughout the day. the ohio valley as well. new york city seeing some rain just in time for the evening commute. so it goes on and on, gigi hook, in the northeast, the warm weather, el nino. >> very confusing. i'll take it for now. we do have a big day ahead for the baltimore jury in the freddie gray case. plus the biggest day of the year for the post office, we'll have details on that next. that next. . breo won't replace a rcue inhaler for suen breathing problems. breo opens up aiaiays to help improve breathing for a full 24 hours.

that increases the risk of death from asthma problems and may increase the risk of hospitalization in children and adoleleents. breo is not fofopeople whose asthma is well controlled on a long-term asthma control medicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid. once your asthma is well controlled, your doctor will decide if you can stop breo and prescribe a different asthma control dicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid. do not take breo more than prescribed. see your doctor if your asthma does not improve or gets worse. ask your doctor if 24-hour breo could be a missing piece for you. see if you're eligible for 12 months free at mybreo.com. introducing kisses deluxe chocolates. with a whole-roasted hazelnut, delicate crisps, and layers of rich, creamy chocolate, they're twice the size of the kisses chocolates you love. say more with new kisses deluxe. you never know when it'll be your moment to shine. so don't trust your smile to any regular toothpaste. improved crest 3d white brilliance removes 5 times more stains than the red box.

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not calling for medical help or buckleing him in. we'll decide if port is being charged with reckless endanger endangerment. > 17 women were elected into office. it was the first timee women were allowed to vote and run for office. they are still not allowed to drive a car, however. it was three years ago today a gunman entered sandy hook connecticut. 26 people died. 20 of them children. not far from this town, another school is marking the anniversary with 26 days of kindness harry smith has that story. >> everyone all set? >> mary callahan has an assignment in fairfield, connecticut.

rising you could hear a pin drop. >> to a teacher or elsewhere in the country. >> first responders. >> i want to talk to parents that appreciate it. without their job, it's selfless. >> this idea. 26 days of kindness, honors the 26 children and six adults who lost the lives in the 2012 mass shooting at s sdy hook elementary scale in new town. manifest in acts big and small, like donating food andlankets to the homeless, an annua tradition in notre dame these st three years. >> it remind us that human goodness and human kindness is an every day affair. >> reporter: for students here, it couldn't makeore nse. >> we a an't waiting for more bad to happen. >> they have learned there is a world outside these walls, crowded with cruelty. remember that old saying about it's better to give than to receive?

harry smith, nbc news, fafield, connecticut. >> let's get down to business. according to u.s. post office, today is actually the busiest mailing day of the year for card, letters and packages. they estimate 14 billion pieces ofof mail will be send sent this season. engagement is upon us. men are paying more than ever for that special rock. researchers finding men are spending an average of $5,978 on an engagement ring. that's up from $5,403 in 2013. just ahead, he's back. rob gronkowski making his return

that's nexex up.

[ music playing ] >> this morning on "today" two major retailers are p pling hoverboards. what you need to know this holiday. in sports, the carolina panthers are 13 and o after rolling the atlanta falcons in a 38-0 drubbing. california clinched the playoffs. monday night football,

skid, tom brady checking here with rob gronkowski for the score. this was gronk's first game back after a knee injury. the bengals take a hit sunday when aend andy dalton broke his umb. ttsburgh win this one 33-20. green bay had no trouble with the cowboy, since the the packers took over the afc north with a win over dallas. the streaking chiefs won their seventh straiait game with a 10-3 victory. the walk redskins haven't won a road game in 23 months. they blew it. dustin hawkins proved the winner atop the afc east. redskins 24, bears 21. in the nba, check out this amazing feat. oklahoma city thunldz, russell westbrooke, bounces the ball off the back side, shoots the 15-footer to beat the buzzer.

the nhl's patrick kane won 28 games with his assistant duncan cane in the first. she leading with 27 assists and 43 points. blackhawk blanked vancouver 4-0. just ahead, prince drafts a huge surprise for his fans over the weekend. plus find out how actor ed norton has becomee a h ho for rian refugees. the details up next. next. phil! oh no... (under his breath) hey man! hey peter. (unenthusiastic) oh... ha ha ha! joanne? is that you? it's'se... you don't look a day over 70. am i right? jingle jingle. if you're peter pan, you stay young forever. it's what you do. if you want to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance, you switch to geicic yououake me feel so young... it's what you do. you make me feel so spring has sprung. i'm phil mickelson, pro golfer. my psoriatic arthritis caused joint pain. just like my moderate to severe rheheatoid arthritis.

my doctor said joint pain from ra can be a sign of existing joint damage that could only get worse. he prescribed enbrel to help relieve pain and help stop further damage. enbrel may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal, eventsncluding infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, nervous stem and blood disorders and allergic reactions have occurred. tell your doctor if you've been someplace where fungal infections are common, or if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, haha had hepatitis b, have been treated fofoheart failure, or if you have persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. joint pain and damage... can go side by side. ask how enbrel can help relieve joint pain and help stop joint damage. enbrel, the number one rheumatologist-prescribed biologic. when your cold makes you wish... ...you could stay... ...in bed all day...

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>> we have entertainment news, actor ed norton is changing the leis livesf one u.s.-bound refugee family, inspiring the story of a syrian scientist bo lost his family i a missile blast. he is raising more than $380,000. the funds will aid the single father as he settles with the surviving children in the case. congratulations to eva longoria. she stars and got engaged over the weekend in dubai. he gave her a gorgeous diamond encrusted ruby ring. prince is releasing a brand-new album called hit and run phase two. it features both new sings and previously released tracks. fans can stream through the on store title. we can call him prince again. with at the don't have to call

usc fighter r(onda rousey made good on her september promise to attend the marine corps ball, i love it. after being invited by a stranger on facebook. on instagram, she changed lance corps ram for being a egentleman and putting a smile on her face. this is "early today" thanks for watching.tching. gentleman and putting a smile on her face. this i i"early today" thanksksor

when your cold makes you wish... ...you could stay... ...in bed all day... ...you need the power of... new theraflu expressmax. the power to feel better. leading the news in usa today, john kerry states climate change will transform economy. aimed at reducing greenhouse gases, the historic accord was widely celebrated yesterday. the agreement by 1919 nation's hopes to limit rising

degrees celsius, through the years 2,100. president obama declares a deal, quote, a turning point for the world. and in the daily maim, people who are experts at swearing have bigger vocablaries than clebn tungd folk. that was publishsh in the lange science journals. participants were asked to say as many swear words in 60 seconds time. then they do the same with animals and those who knew the most swear wordsds were more likely to name the animals as well. okay. we do have other more serious stories we are following. there was a diadly crash between a semi truck and a freight train in oregon, killing the truck driver. unknown fuel leaked under the train. it sparked and it caused a massive fire. the fbi is investigating after two mosques were and havalizeded in southern california. hawthorne, california, police received calls after graffiti and a possible explosive was

while jesus is the way was spray-painted on thehe other. the explosive turned out to be a toy grenade. these incidents come two days after a mosque was set on fire in nearbyco chella. a rack keen was arrested in massachusetts, atop a pole. they rescued the critter after residents noticed. they called the police and he was hydrated. he was otherwise okay. was taken to a wild life rehab center. santa claus taking number advantage of the warm weather this past week. he traded in a slay for watersleigh for water board. they have a lot of work to do. and a few guinness world regard was set ingeorgia, the most kisses under mistletoe at one time. couple locklipped over georgia saturday. nothing says romance like the sound of screaming kids on a

now, a look ahead, president obama making a rare visit to the pentagon today. the president will be meeting with ash carter and top generals to discuss strategy on isis. he will make a statement and that's the start at trying to ease concerns over the president's anti-terrorism strategy.

have a great got you covered. this is today in iowa." now on today in iowa: this is a landmark day in iowa politics... and across the country for that matter... because of terry branstad. plus we're still two and a half weeks away from the big game, but todd is a very important day for thousands of iowa fans who want to go. and a touching story about a dying girl who had a wish -- and how that wish

anticipated moviis in years.