good morning and happy thanksgiving. right now on "first look," a person set to blow up a flight, as people scramble to get to the dinner table on time. a technique used to beat holiday shoppers. plus the annual macy's thanksgiving day parade is just hours away. good morning, i'm dara brown. we begin with details about a plot to blow up the st. louis arch. two men had worse plans in ferguson than previously thought. the two men allegedly wanted to

bomb the gateway arch and kill st. louis prosecutor bob mccullough. police chief tom jackson was also a target. he tells msnbc news that officials warned him about the plot but was told it was under control. they made a large purchase of guns and also bombing material with the intent to use them in ferguson. the men wanted to acquire two more bombs but couldn't afford to do it until one girl's benefits card was replenished. the parents of michael brown held an evening prayer in new york city with reverend al sharpton. and in ferguson, a much quieter night, police reporting only two arrests. they also say there were no officers injured or damage to police vehicles. but in los angeles, protesters blocked major roadways and set this car on fire.

police arrested about 130 protesters. in oakland, this cvs store was among several that was vandalized. some protesters threw rocks at them. a simple yet powerful new cover of the new yorker magazine. it shows half the gateway arch in white and the other half in black to illustrate the racial tension surrounding michael brown's shooting. nbc's jennifer bjorklund is in ferguson with the latest. >> reporter: protests in ferguson dwindling with the holiday and a messy storm moving in. but there have been too many sleepless nights for people here in ferguson. business owners like queen barnes especially worried. the salon she spent her life savings on as a retired teacher in the path of a fire early tuesday. not knowing if it would be there at daybreak, she was frustrated, disappointed. >> i don't approve of this behavior, but after a while, some people think they only can respond with violence. >> reporter: but there is another side, people responding

with kindness. >> i'm trying to help sweep the sidewalks of ferguson because people were breaking windows without cleaning up after themselves. >> reporter: after a first night of chaos, more than 2,000 national guard troops backed up police and put an end to the clash d clashes before they turned destructive. >> we didn't get looted. >> but i'm worried about how we have to live our lives. >> reporter: many retailers here in the ferguson area are staying closed and skipping black friday sales. there is a social media push now to boycott black friday in support of ferguson protesters with the tag line, no justice no profits. in ferguson, missouri, jennifer bjorklund, nbc news.

this morning people are digging out. in west virginia, 18 inches of snow. in new jersey, a state of emergency after some spots got almost eight. and there was this. lots of reports of thunder snow on the roads. on the i-95 corridor, slush and slope. at the airports, it's catch-up this time. airlines cancelling more than 7,000 flights on sunday. here is a look at the forecast today, so tell us, tell us. >> happy thanksgiving to you. >> happy thanksgiving. it's a great day for turkey. >> there are people waking up in new hampshire, massachusetts, vermont. you're headed out to shovel this morning, and the mountains of

west virginia, petersburg was the highest total i could find. an elevation of 2,000 feet, 20 inches. cocker and hampton, 10. portland and hartford had 3 inches of snow. there was snow in the big cities but not a lot. boston, all the way to new york, but a lot of it didn't stick. that snow is exiting. it's snowing still in the state of maine. i-95 north of portland, maine really the only treacherous drive out there. now we're watching snow showers through west virginia, snow showers through the great lakes, and the worst weather by far is the cold. i mean, this is a small shot of arctic air, but it's minus 29 wind chills in northern minnesota. in minneapolis we're at minus 15. that's bitter cold when you walk out the door. only 11 today. the macy's parade looks great. we're going to be in the 30s. it shouldn't be that windy so it should be bearable out there for the crowds.

as we look forward to your black friday, everything is going to warm up. that should be the trend for the first week of december. we're going to feel this warmth pretty much all across the country. >> that's great for the parade. either watch it outside or sit by your tv. an australian cricket star has tragically died. he was struck by a ball during a cricket match. he was wearing a helmet, but in days he collapsed by the pitch. he underwent surgery. there was massive bleeding to the brain and he never regained consciousness. his doctor said he was not in pain before he passed and was surrounded by his close friends and family. he was only 25. this morning, ruth bader ginsberg is recovering after a health scare. a stint was placed in her coronary artery. it isn't the 89-year-old's first

scare. she had colon surgery in 2009. she is battling pancreatic cancer. she shot down the idea of retiring. it would be the most talked about executive action this month, and it's not immigration but a time-honored white house tradition. >> today i am taking an action fully within my legal authority, the same kind of action taken by democrats and republican presidents before me, to spare the lives of two turkeys, mac and cheese, from a terrible and delicious fate. >> and so he did. the two turkeys, both about 48 pounds, will live out their days in virginia. and thanksgiving is a great time for catching up with family, so this caught our eye. sa sasha and malia obama, a full six years older and looking like

they're just so totally over it. before you power on that extra gravy, a poll says only half of those who say they want to lose weight or only seriously trying to do so. the thanksgiving macy's day parade began in 1968. >> we're about to begin the parade on new york's upper west side. if you take a look behind me, you can see one of those 30 floats that will be in the parade. that, of course, is tom turkey. down 77th street, that's where all the balloons are waiting. everybody anticipates their balloons. everybody has their favorite. this year 16 major character

balloons, 6 of them new. there are still the old stand-byes like snoopy, spiderman, woodstock, efl on the she shelf. there are 3.5 million people expected to be here in new york. of course, there will be warm and toasty inside the living rooms of 50 million people watching inside their living rooms at home. dara, we'll send it back to you. this morning al roker and savannah guthrie will bring you team coverage of the macy's day parade, including balloons and spectacular performances beginning at 9:00 a.m. only on nbc. it is time to get down to business on this thanksgiving morning. today is all about family, football and turkey, and now shopping. americans are getting ready to spend big with consumer sentiment at its highest level thanks to the job market and lower gas prices.

some are having a holiday. electronics chain p.c. richard says stay home on thanksgiving. stop louis vuitton caught on tape. that's up next. ring ring!... progresso! it's ok that your soup tastes like my homemade. it's our slow simmered vegetables and tender white meat chicken. apology accepted. i'm watching you soup people.

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welcome back in the news this morning. these pictures of a bear are the last ones a college student took before that very same bear killed him. police released the pictures taken back in september when a 300-pound bear attacked the 22-year-old. he was hiking with his friends when they encountered the bear. caught on camera. police released surveillance video showing a brazen smash and grab in a louis vuitton store in virginia. the thieves stole a number of purses valued at $120,000. meanwhile, surveillance video in china shows just how

lucky this man is to be alive. he got hit not once, not twice, but some good samaritans tried to help him, but he was accidentally struck a third time when a car trying to stop got rear-ended. the man was pinned under the car for a few seconds. he's in the hospital and is said to be recovering well from his injuries. coming to a colorado theater, seth rogan and pot. he tweeted his 2 million followers for the chance of get baked with him during his tour next month. that's a heck of a strategy. >> i think so. >> it's time to get the latest in sports from craig melvin. craig, good morning to you. >> good morning to you. let's start with some college basketball. knocked off unc in the first round in the battle of atlantis in the bahamas. coach rick petino joins the 700 club. petina becoming the 20th

divion coach to win 700 games, the honor come in the win over cleveland state. some really short shorts. last night he reportedly rolls his shorts because the length restriction from running, he says. but they did serve another purpose last night. check out this between the legs escape that his teammate was able to make while chasing down a ball. and lakers star mitt young sharing some tips on courting a woman, including how he connected with his girlfriend iggy azalea. >> i was watching a video of her, and i was like, oh, man, she looks very hot. i go to my twitter, made her a major crush. she actually bid on it. constantly hit them up on twitter. if they don't respond, it's over.

check out this adorable teaseer of chicago blackhawks players posing with pit bulls. the calendar part of an annual fundraiser by forward brian bickle and his wife of the rescue of pit bulls. a tradition at thanksgiving, following the macy's day parade, all-day football. the bears taking on the lions at 4:30. nfc rivals cowboys and eagles face off, and the nightcap in prime time features the seahawks and the 49ers at 8:30 right here on nbc. dara brown? >> that sounds like a busy day ahead. thanks, craig. just ahead, a thanksgiving story of true thanks and giving. check out this turkey day tradition out of myrtle beach. just for a buck, people got to bowl for a frozen bird. if you got a strike, you had the

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the kids went to nana's house... for the whole weekend! [ snoring ] [ male announcer ] zzzquil, the non habit forming sleep aid that helps you sleep easily and wake refreshed. because sleep is a beautiful thing. that helps you sleep easily and wake refreshed. think the tree we carved our names in is still here? probably dead... how much fun is this? what? what a beautiful sunset... if you like sunsets. whether you're sweet or salty... you'll love nature valley sweet and salty bars. now your thanksgiving dish of scrambled politics. not allowing the president to give his speech on immigration. it does protect his message to congress, it does not protect

the actual speech. hillary clinton, you're going to need $3,000 and hummus. according to the "washington post," clinton's speaking contract also includes long, flat pillows for back support, a specific microphone, a case of still water and lemon wedges. sued for governor cuomo and sandra lee? lee told him, we'll get married someday. the two have been dating for nine years. senator richard cody is banning stores from opening before 9:00 p.m. on thanksgiving. twitter loved beating out mac. not so lucky. gop, take a listen to the president's jab. >> i am here to announce what i'm sure will be the most talked-about executive action this month. i'm taking an action fully

within my legal authority. >> forget the butterball hotline, john boehner has some cooking tips. take a listen. >> the real secret, though, 16 ounces of pure maple syrup, on the bird breast down. halfway through, i literally pick it up and turn it over. i only cook my bird to about 160 max. i take it out, put foil over it and let it sit for at least an hour. it's the resting time that really works. >> sounds like a plan there. and that is your holiday helping of scrambled politics. and i am joined now by syndicated columnist bob franken. good morning to you, bob. >> i didn't know that the speaker was working for the cooking channel. >> neither did i, but i'm not sure if resting was for the bird or just taking a nap. >> what i didn't know was he was able to steal one of the

partisan turkeys and that's what he's cooking. >> let's start with the midterms. >> let's start with the midterms. not so much the result, although i think most msnbc viewers would not be happy with the midterm. but my turkey is all this empty talk about my partisanship and compromise, which, as we both know, is just a lot of twaddle. as far as the rest of the year, we have bridgegate, governor christie. actually, the ft. lee washington bridge was shut down for an alleged traffic study in 2013. but it was this year that the governor had to tell people that he had nothing to do with it, even though it was widely suspected that it was a recrimination, it was revenge against the democratic mayor of ft. lee because he hadn't supported christie's reelection. >> bob, hold on one second. i want to play a sound bite for

this one now. >> okay. >> i'm joni ernst. i grew up castrating hogs on an iowa farm. so when i'm elected, i'll know how to cut pork. >> newly elected joni ernst. >> she is newly elected, although she's talking about turkey and not pork. i don't think there is anything i could say that would be appropriate for family television. >> i agree. >> on the other side we ha hahav have allison grimes who is the candidate. she didn't say anything when asked if she voted f--

>> michael grim is on our hit parade also, almost literally. else the one who is a congressman who did not like the question that a reporter from new york one was asking, so he threatened to throw him over the balcony of the russell rotunda. that's considered bad form, however, he did get reelected. >> that sounds like some good five talking turkey points we have for 2014. >> i will point out, as you just showed a moment ago, the president did pardon those turkeys. unfortunately, a lot of these turkeys probably shouldn't be pardoned. >> thank you so much, bob, we appreciate that, and we'll have mac and cheese on our table, too. well, a family in minnesota will be celebrating thanksgiving today with one chair empty. but a decision a young man made before he died assured another family wouldn't have to. nbc's kate snow reports. >> reporter: matthew heisler was a junior in the university of

north dakota when his parents and sister got the call last spring. his roommate had dragged him out of a burning house. >> he was very tender. from the time he was a little boy, he had a huge heart. >> when matt was 16, he chose to be an organ donor. so his family was proud that he would live on. 71-year-old vietnam veteran tom meeks had been waiting for a heart for three years. >> i'm telling you, i feel awesome. >> reporter: the first thing he said after waking up from surgery was that he wanted to meet the donor's family. >> obviously, in my case, there will always be a very, very warm spot in my heart. >> the heislers wanted to meet tom, too, and it finally happened on monday. >> hi. you must be casey.

>> reporter: they shared stories. >> would you like to listen to your brother's heart? >> reporter: then the grandpa of four let matt's family simply listen. the heislers and the meeks allowed a camera into this deeply private moment in the hopes that others might be inspired to become donors, too. >> we're all going to listen. >> reporter: nearly 124,000 people are currently waiting for an organ. matt's organs helped as many as 60 people. >> thank you. >> reporter: and as his father said, as much as their loss still hurts, meeting the man who got a second chance at life is a reason to be thankful. >> it's awesome. >> reporter: kate snow, nbc news, new york. >> an amazing story. >> none of us can picture being in that position at all.

>> so much to be thankful for. >> what are you doing today? family? >> family, turkey, stuffing, cranberries, all the good stuff. how about you? >> i'm working. the parade is in the front street, so i'll be watching the parade. >> i'm dara brown. happy thanksgiving. think the trd our names in is still here? probably dead... how much fun is this? what? what a beautiful sunset... if you like sunsets. whether you're sweet or salty... you'll love nature valley sweet and salty bars.

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good morning and happy thanksgiving. right now on "first look," a stinster plot to blow up the st. louis arch stopped by police. travel in airlines scramble to get to the dinner table on time. they use this smash and grab technique to beat holiday shoppers. plus the 25th annual macy's thanksgiving day parade is just hours away. good morning, i'm dara brown. we begin with a plot to blow up the st. louis arch. t

two men allegedly wanted to bomb the gateway arch and kill prosecutor bob mccullough. police chief tom jackson was also a target. he tells nbc news that officials warned him about the plot but was told it was under control. they made purchases of guns and also pipe bombs with the intent of using them in ferguson. sources tell the st. louis post dispatch that the men wanted to acquire two more bombs but couldn't afford to do it until one suspect's girlfriend's benefits card was replenished. yesterday afternoon the parents of michael brown and the families of other victims killed by police held an evening of prayer in new york city with a national action networks reverend al sharpton. in ferguson, a much quieter night. police report only two arrests. they also say there was no officers injured or damage to police vehicles. but in los angeles, protesters blocked major roadways and set this car on fire. police arrested about 130

protesters. in oakland, this cvs store was among several that was vandalized. police say some protesters threw rocks at them. a simple yet powerful new cover of the new yorker magazine. it shows half of the gateway arch in white and the other half in black. to illustrate the racial tension surrounding michael brown's shooting. nbc's jennifer bjorklund is in ferguson with the latest. >> reporter: protests in ferguson dwindling with the holiday and a messy winter storm moving in. but there have been too many sleepless nights for people here in ferguson. business owners like queen barnes especially worried. the salon she spent her life saf savings on as a retired teacher in the path of the fire on tuesday. not knowing if it would be there at daybreak, she was frustrated, disappointed. >> i don't approve this behavior, but after a while, some people think they can only respond with violence. >> reporter: but there is

another side, people responding with kindness. >> i'm trying to help sweep the sidewalks of ferguson because people were breaking windows without cleaning up after themselves. >> reporter: after the first night of chaos, more than 2,000 national guard troops backed up police and put an end to the clashes before they turned destructive. and before barnes' salon burned. >> it didn't burn, we didn't get looted. >> reporter: but there is still damage here. >> i have to think about my safety and my children's safety and, you know, them having to live their lives. >> reporter: damage to the psyche of a community reeling from three months of turmoil. many retailers in the ferguson area are staying closed and skipping black friday sales. there is a social media push now to boycott black friday in support of ferguson protesters with the tag line, no justice no profits. in ferguson, missouri, jennifer bjorklund, nbc news. now to that nor'easter

nightmare. this morning people are digging out. in west virginia, 18 inches of snow. in new jersey, a state of emergency after some spots got almost eight. and there was this. lots of reports of thunder snow. on the roads, on the i-95 corridor, slush and slop. at the airports it's catch-up this time. airlines cancelling more than 700 flights wednesday. is the coast finally clear? meteorologist bill carans with an answer in a few minutes. he's here to give us the forecast today, so tell us. >> happy thanksgiving to you. >> happy thanksgiving. it's a great day for turkey. >> there are people waking up in new hampshire, massachusetts, and vermont. you're heading out to shovel this morning, and we mentioned

the totals. about an elevation of 2,000 feet, 20 inches. pitsfield mass had 12, portland and maine hartford had about 3 inches of snow. there was some snow in the big city, but not a lot. boston all the way to new york, philadelphia and even d.c. saw flakes but a lot of it didn't stick. snow is exiting. it's snowing still in the state of maine. two or three inches, that will be about it. i-95 toward portland the only treacherous drive out there. we're watching snow showers in west virginia, snow showers in the great lakes, and the worst weather by far is the cold. this is a small shot of arctic air, but it's minus 29 wind chills in northern minnesota. in minneapolis, we're at minus 15. that's bitter cold when you walk out the door. only 11 today. the macy's parade looks great. we're going to be in the 30s. it shouldn't be that windy so it should be bearable out there for the crowds.

as we look forward to your black friday, everything starts to warm up. that's going to be the trend for the first week of december. we're going to send this warmth pretty much all across the country. >> that's great, though. great day for the parade. either watch outside or sit by your tv. an australian cricket star has tragically died. phillip hughes was struck on the head by a ball. it was a few days before collapsing by the pitch. he underwent surgery. there was massive bleeding to the brain and he never regained consciousness. his doctor said hughes was not in pain when he passed and was surrounded by his close friends and family. he was only 25. this morning, ruth bader ginsberg is recovering after a health scare. the supreme court justice had a heart scare wednesday. a stint was placed in her right coronary artery. it isn't the 81-year-old's first health scare.

in 1989 she had colon cancer surgery. in 2009, she battled pancreatic cancer. her age and health have some suggesting she retire. she shot down that idea. and it might be the most talked-about decision this month, and it's not immigration, but a time-honored white house tradition. >> today i'm taking an action fully within my legal authority, the same kind of action taken by democrats and republican presidents before me, to spare the lives of two turkeys, mac and cheese, from a terrible and delicious fate. >> and so he did. the two turkeys, both about 48 pounds, will live out their days in have virginia. thanksgiving is a great time for catching up with family, so this caught our eye. sasha and malia obama, a full six years older and looking like they're just so totally over it.

before you pour on that extra gravy, a new food poll says only about half of the people who is they want to lose weight are seriously trying to do so. the thanksgiving macy's day parade began in 1924, and aside from world war ii, it happened every year. 12,000 floats, 120 bands, 60 clowns and plenty of balloons. good morning, chris. >> reporter: good morning, dara. action is picking up as we get closer to the parade starting at 9:00 this morning on new york's upper east side. if you take a look behind me, you can see one of those nearly 30 floats that will be in this parade. that, of course, is tom turkey. down 77th street, that's where all the balloons are waiting. everybody anticipates their balloons, everybody has their

favorites. 60 character balloons, six of them new, but there are still the old stand-byes like spider man, snoopy, woodstock, elf on the shelf. everybody has their favorite. the weather looks like it will be good for the 3.5 million people expected to be here in new york. it will be warm and toasty inside the living rooms for the 50 million people watching nbc at home. dara, we'll send it back to you. >> thanks, chris. and today al roker, savannah guthrie will bring you the macy's day parade beginning at 9:00 a.m. only on nbc. it is time to get down to business on this thanksgiving morning. today is all about family football, turkey and now shopping. yes, americans are about to spend big in more than seven years. while many stores are expanding hours today, electronics chain

p.c. richard is saying no thanks to being open on thanksgiving. they're letting their employees have the day off and will open early on friday. federal regulators have given takata until tuesday to fix their airbags which can open too soon, sending shrapnel flying. they are blamed for two deaths. a shop and grab by these thieves at a louis vuitton caught on tape. that's up next.

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call 1-888-xarelto, or visit goxarelto.com. why do i cook for the to share with family to carry on traditions to come together, even when we're apart in stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and more, swanson® makes holiday dishes delicious! welcome back in the news this morning. these pictures of a bear are the last ones a college student took before that very same bear killed him. police released the pictures which were taken back in september when the 300-pound black bear attacked the 22-year-old. he was hiking with his friend when they encountered the bear. caught on camera, police released surveillance video showing a brazen smash and grab at a louis vuitton store in illinois. it happened in less than two minutes. a group of thieves stole a number of purses valued at $120,000. surveillance video in china

shows just how lucky this man is to be alive. he got hit not once, not twice, but some good samaritans tried to help him, but he was accidentally struck a third time when a car trying to stop got rear-ended. the man was pinned under the car for a few seconds. he's in the hospital and is said to be recovering well from his injuries. coming to a colorado theater, seth rogan and pot? the actor tweeted his 2.4 million followers about a chance to get baked with him during his screening of the new film "the interview" next month. that's one heck of a marketing strategy. >> i would say so. >> i think so. now it's time to get the latest in sports from our own craig melvin. good morning to you, craig. >> good morning to you. let's start with college basketball. he knocked off usc in the first round in the battle of atlantis in the bahamas.

7 74-65 win. in the cardinals' 45th win over cleveland state. he is rocking some really short shorts. last night in their 76-51 win, he rolled his shorts because they restrict him from running, he says. but they did serve another purpose. check out this between the legs play this guy made while chasing the ball. he tweeted how he connected with his girlfriend iggy azalea. >> i was watching a video of her, i think it was "work "sthoo. i thought, oh, man, she is hot. i went to twitter, made her my wednesday crush. she actually bid on it. you can't constantly hit on them on twitter. if they don't respond, it's

over. check out this adorable teaseer featuring chicago blackhawks players posing with pit bulls. the calendar was an annual fundraiser by brian bickle and his wife to promote the adoption of pit bulls. one of the best traditions of thanksgiving following the big parade here on nbc, all-day football. the early game at 12:30, the bears taking on the lions at 4:30. nfc rivals, cowboys and eagles face off. and the nightcap in prime time features nfc heavyweights. the seahawks and the 49ers right here at 8:30 on nbc. just ahead, a thanksgiving story of true thanks and giving. check out this turkey day tradition out of myrtle beach. just for a buck, people got to bowl a frozen bird. if you got a strike, you had the choice of taking the turkey home

or donating it to a local food bank. we'll be right back.

now your thanksgiving dish of scrambled politics. the gop toying with a ridiculous partisan idea, not allowing the president to give his address to the nation. payback for his plan on

immigration. in guacer, want to book hillary clinton? you're going to need $300,000 and hummus. according to the "washington post," her speaking contract also includes long, flat pillows for back support, a specific microphone, a case of still waurlt a water and room temperature water and lemon wedges. lee told the new york observer, we'll get married someday. the two have been dating for nine years. in the "washington post," new jersey bill would ban stores from opening before 9:00 p.m. on thanksgiving. senator richard cody is behind it. he said it would let workers enjoy their dinner. this year the white house turkeys competed for a pardon on twitter. cheese got the twitter love, beating out mac not so lucky. the gop taking a listen to the president's jab. >> i am here to announce what i am sure will be the most talked-about executive action this month.

i'm taking an action fully within my legal authority. >> forget the butterball hot line. john boehner had some cooking tips. take a listen. >> the real secret, though, 16 ounces of pure maple syrup. p cook the bird breast down. and halfway through, i literally pick it up and turn it over. i only cook my bird to about 160 max. i take it out, put foil over it and let it sit for at least an hour. it's the resting time that really works. >> sounds like a plan there. and that is your holiday helping of scrambled politics. and i am joined now by syndicated columnist bob franken. good morning to you, bob. >> i didn't know the speaker was working for the cooking channel. >> neither did i, but i'm not sure if resting meant for the bird or just taking a nap, because that's what we do on thanksgiving, right? >> what we don't know is that he was able to steal one of the pardoned turkeys, and that's the

one he's cooking. >> let's hear your 2013. >> you want a trip down memory lane. so much to talk about. >> let's start with the midterms. >> not so much the result, but i think the msnbc viewers would not be happy with the midterm. but my turkey is all this empty talk about bipartisabipartisans compromise, which, as we both know, is just a lot of twaddle. as far as the rest of the year, we have bridgegate, governor christie. actually, the ft. lee george washington bridge was shut down, most of the lanes shout down fo an alleged traffic study in 2013. but it was in this year that the governor had to tell people that he had had nothing to do with it even though it was widely suspected that it was a recrimination. it was revenge against the democratic mayor of ft. lee because he hadn't supported christie's reelection. >> bob, hold on one second.

i want to play a sound bite for this one now. >> i'm joni ernst. i grew up castrating hogs on an iowa farm. so when i get to washington, i'll know how to cut pork. >> newly elected joni ernst. >> she is newly elected. of course, we're talking about pigs, not turkeys, ask to be completely honest about it, i think there would be nothing more i could say that would be appropriate for family television. >> agreed. >> now, on the other side, we have allison grimes, who is the democratic senate candidate in kentucky, but she really stepped in it by trying not to when she refused to answer whether she had voted before for barack obama for president. she is now toast, she's history. it's ms. mcconnell who got reelected, and, of course, she's going to be the new majority leader. >> let's step over it and talk

about michael grimm. >> he's on our hit parade also, almost literally. he is the one who is a congressman who did not like the question that a reporter from new york one was asking, and so he threatened to throw him over the balcony of the russell rotunda. that's considered bad form. however, he did get reelected. >> he did get reelected. well, that sounds like some good five turkey talking points we have for 20 14. >> i will point out, as you just showed a moment ago, the president did pardon those turkeys. unfortunately, a lot of these turkeys probably shouldn't be pardoned. >> thank you so much, bob. we appreciate that. we'll have mac and cheese on our table, too. well, a family in minnesota will be celebrating thanksgiving today with one chair empty. but a decision a young man made before he died assured another family wouldn't have to. nbc's kate snow reports. >> reporter: matthew heisler was a junior at the university of north dakota when his parents and sister got the 4:00 a.m.

call last spring. his roommate had dragged him out of a burning house. >> he was very tender. when he was a little boy, he had a huge heart. >> reporter: when matt was 16, he chose to be an organ donor. so when he died, his family was proud to know that someone got his heart. >> the heart i grew up with i felt in all of my hugs when i hugged him, that he's still out there somewhere. >> 71-year-old vietnam veteran tom meeks had been waiting for a heart for three years. >> i'm telling you, i feel awesome. >> reporter: the first thing he said after waking up from surgery was that he wanted to meet the donor's family. >> obviously, in my case, they're always going to carry a very, very warm spot in my heart. >> reporter: the heislers wanted to meet tom, too, and it finally happened on monday. >> wow. you must be casey. >> i'm cheryl.

thank you. >> one more, dad. >> reporter: they shared stories. >> would you like to listen to your brother's heart? >> reporter: then the grandpa of four let matt's family simply listen. the heislers and the meeks allowed a camera into this deeply private moment in the hopes that others might be inspired to become donors, too. >> we're all going to listen. >> reporter: nearly 124,000 people are currently waiting for an organ. matt's organs helped as many as 60 people. and as his father said as much as their loss still hurts, meeting the man who got a second chance at life is a reason to be thankful. >> it's awesome. ka >> kate snow, nbc news, new york. >> an amazing story. >> none of us can picture being in that position at all.

>> we have so much to be thankful for. >> what are you doing today? family? >> family, turkey, stuffing, cranberries. all the good stuff. what about you? >> my kids will be here. i'm working the parade on the front street, so we'll be watching. >> i'm dara brown on msnbc. thank you for watching. >> happy thanksgiving.

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i can't believe i'm eating bacon and rich creamy cheese before my sister's wedding well it's only 100 calories, so you'll be ready for that dress uh-huh... you don't love the dress? i love my sister... 40 flavors. 100 calories or less. the night before thanksgiving, will there be peace in ferguson? let's play "hardball." >> good evening to you. i am in for chris matthews. demonstrators and protests continue again today. now 48 hours after a grand jury declined to charge officer darren wilson for murder or manslaughter for shooting michael brown. demonstrators gathered near the historic arch in downtown st. louis and tried to storm city hall. police say three protesters were arrested, including one for assaulting an officer. the new protests come after what st. louis county police chief