it's thanksgiving day, thursday, november 26th. right now on "first look," almost 50 million of us are traveling for this truly all-american holiday, as president obama reassures that security is at the forefront of his agenda. meanwhile, french president hollande continues meeting with world leaders to shore up security in the fight against isis. new revelations surrounding the death of nfl legend frank gifford. plus it looks like jason kidd is about to get slapped with a hefty fine. a warning for drivers filling up at the pump using a credit card. and get ready for the biggest thanksgiving day parade anywhere. >> it is hard to believe that this is my seventh year of pardoning a turkey. time flies. even if turkeys don't.

>> that was good. that was good. >> i thought it was pretty good. >> "first look" starts right now. good morning and happy thanksgiving. i'm dara brown. with the paris terror attacks fresh on people's minds, this holiday, are americans safe? with 50 million people traveling away from home, president obama is doing his best to reassure the nation. we start with nbc's peter alexander. >> i want the american people to know that we are taking every possible step to keep our homeland safe. >> reporter: the message in effect, we'll do the worrying, you do the celebrating with a reminder for everyone to stay alert. >> if you see something suspicious, say something, otherwise, americans should go about their usual thanksgiving weekend activities. >> reporter: a new government advisory offers little detailed information, but warns what police already know. that attackers could capitalize on the thanksgiving holiday to promote their agenda. the top concern remains

homegrown extremists with soft targets nearly impossible to protect. >> we have a number of tourist destination, that's a big part of our economy. certainly we're always vigilant to anything happening there. >> reporter: this week hundreds of newly assigned officers to the nypd's critical response command prepared for nightmare scenarios. simulating both active shooters and hostage takers. >> this is an elite, dedicated force, trained in counterterrorism, they'll be briefed on the intelligence every day. this is really a force for today's threat picture. >> reporter: and even with the thanksgiving day parade with 3 million people expected, police are deploying extra security as they inflate the trade mark balloons. >> i believe we can't live in fear. >> of course, it's on our minds and they want us to live in fear and we feel we can't. >> reporter: while paris brought the terror threat closer to home, u.s. security officials say they are working relentlessly to prevent any attack here. >> that was peter alexander reporting. coalition building continues for french president francois

hollande. today he's in moscow to meet with russian president vladimir putin in his ongoing push to form an international team to fight isis. this comes on the heels of meetings hollande had with german chancellor angela merkel yesterday and at the white house on tuesday. however the downing of a russian warplane by nato ally turkey, which putin called a stab in the back, is expected to be a major topic in today's meeting. nbc's claudio lavagne joins us from belgium with the latest. good morning to you, claudio. >> good morning, dara. yes, president hollande just met the prime minister of italy in france, and now he will be on his way to russia to meet president vladimir putin on what is seen as the last stop of a diplomatic marathon through which president hollande is trying to build some kind of global military coalition against isis in syria. and it probably will be the most sensitive one, as you said, russia right now is engaged in a war of words with nato member

turkey, after a turkish warplane downed a russian jet over turkish airspace a couple of days ago and probably what mr. hollande will try to tell president putin is not -- for that not to distract russia from the heavy military campaign against isis in syria. also, while france and russia are both heavily involved in the military campaign in bombing isis in syria, they have very divergent news on how to solve the situation that politically, france, as the other members of the 65 -- 65 country strong coalition believe that there should be some kind of unified government that excludes president bashar al assad from any future -- any political future in syria, while russia is one of the very few countries that still support assad. >> claudio, thank you so much for that report from belgium. well, pope francis is in kenya for his first-ever visit to africa.

he was greeted by kenya's president and members of the clergy. dancers welcome francis upon arrival and large crowds lined the streets to cheer and catch a glimpse of the pope. he's also scheduled to visit uganda and the central african republic, which has been devastated by fighting between christians and muslims. it marks the first time a pope has visited an active armed conflict. francis is looking to bring a message of peace to the continent and doesn't seem concerned for his safety, saying he is quote more afraid of the moss kitos. we've learned that frank gifford the legendary hall of fame player and broadcaster and husband of nbc's own kathie lee gifford suffered from the brain disease known as cte, chronic traumatic encephalopathy. the disease has been linked with repeated hard hits to the head. in a statement the family says it's sharing the news so that gifford might inspire other suffering from the disease. and hope the family might be a small part of the solution to what it calls an urgent problem

concerning anyone involved with football. the family said it will continue to support the nfl and recent onfield rule changes to make the game as safe as possible. for its part, the nfl said the health and safety of its players remains its highest priority. well, security is expected to be tight in new york city for the 89th annual macy's thanksgiving day parade with more than 2500 police officers lining the parade. a record for the event. jay gray joins us live now from the parade route in new york city and jay, good morning to you. how's it going out there? >> hey, good morning, dara. well we're seeing the stepped-up police presence. a lot more officers than in years past. so far, everything flawless here. take a look behind me. the stars of the show, the massive balloons, are already aired up and ready to go. 17 will be a part of this year's parade. some new ones, too, including scrap from "ice age" the red, angry bird. ronald mcdonald with his fourth different entry into this parade. we'll see 24 of the other, smaller balloonicles they're called.

27 floats. 1100 cheerleaders, or dancers will be a part of this, and more than 1,000 clowns. i guess that's how i got my ticket to be there. yeah, security is going to be tight, but we've already seen families lined up along the roadway here. and we're still hours away from the official start of this parade. so a lot of people very excited about it. in fact, organizers telling us that they believe they could see record crowds lining the parade route here today because of the mild weather that we're seeing right now here in new york. the high today could be close to 60 degrees. much better than it's been in the past when we've seen some rain, we've seen some very cold temperatu temperatures. should just be a perfect way to start thanksgiving. of course you can see it all right here on nbc. that is the latest live here from new york along the parade route, i'm jay gray. dara, happy thanksgiving and back to you. >> and a happy thanksgiving to you, jay. thanks for that. well now to sports, the biggest turkey in the nba so far

this season, the philadelphia 76ers. they lost the celtics 84-80 and the team hasn't won a game since march of last season. they're on a 26-game losing streak, and the team also had a 26-game losing streak just two seasons ago. in milwaukee, bucks head coach jason kidd likely just cost himself tens of thousands of dollars in fines. that ball slap got a technical and an ejection from the game. the coach said he was frustrated by the ref's calls but watch for the nba to come down hard on kidd. kings win this one 21-113. speaking of kidd our intrepid producer, he knows two years ago almost to the day of kwid's infamous soda spill incident. a player bumped into kidd who appeared to mouth the words hit me and then happens to drop his soda on the floor, thus allowing him the time he needed to draw up a last-second play. his team still lost. and get ready for a full helping of football on this thanksgiving. it starts with the eagles at detroit followed by the undefeated panthers heading into dallas and capped off right here

on nbc with da bears descending on lambeau field and the green bay packers. enjoy. well, many across the country will be waking up to snow and rain. your thanksgiving weather is straight ahead. and the military rules on a west point tradition that took a terrible turn over the summer. details up next. plus a dicey situation at one pizza joint. details when you're watching "first look." it takes a lot of work... to run this business. i'm on the move all day long... and sometimes, i just don't eat the way i should.

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dangerous winds near sacramento. 11 people were injured when a gust blew through a flea market. tossing tents into the air. and the san diego area will be under a coastal flood advisory through today and into tomorrow because of this. king tides. where waves can reach 7 1/2 feet. that gravitational pull from the moon really makes a big difference on the west coast. here's what's happening right now. a blizzard. in fact if you're driving in southern wyoming, and many people are traveling, of course,

since it's thanksgiving, we're looking at dangerous conditions with blowing and drifting snow. and if that's not enough, ice, measurable ice, over a quarter of an inch, even half an inch in some areas. when you start getting that much ice, unfortunately power outages are likely when they coat the areas along the power poles. wichita even into kansas city, we could see icy conditions all the way up to iowa. so, behind this system you can see much colder air. look at denver for thanksgiving, 22 degrees. 36 in minneapolis, with snow. and as we look to the east it's just the opposite. we have fantastic weather here in new york. 61 is the high today. i can't remember the last time it was like that on a thanksgiving. 64 in washington, d.c. nice and warm across florida. atlanta looking good, in the 60s. and chicago still dealing with rain, and the chicago forecast is interesting, because it is going to change. we'll be looking at wet and windy conditions, and temperatures dropping into the 40s tonight. so don't let the 60 degree fool you. lots of changes this weekend, dara, as we transition.

you know, this is the time of year we start moving closer to winter. >> absolutely. i've got the coat out already. bonnie, thank you so much. new this morning, pillow fights are now banned at west point after injuries from the fight on august 20th. 24 freshmen cadets suffered concussions and six others were also injured with fractured cheeks and a broken nose. the problem. some cadets were filling the pillowcases with hard objects like helmets. the traditional pillow fights were a way for new cadets to start camaraderie at the start of their gruelling first year. and the mother who left a newborn in the manger of a church in queens, new york, has been found, this after surveillance video of her surfaced buying several towels at a nearby store which she used to wrap her newborn its umbilical cord still attached. the mother will not face prosecution because new york has a safe haven law which allows someone to anonymously leave a baby up to 30 days old at a church. check out this frightening video of a car barreling into a pizza place in san bernardino, california, and slamming into a

couple eating dinner. according to investigators the driver had a seizure and accidentally hit the gas pedal. luckily no one sustained serious injuries. and in colorado, another car crashed into a warehouse, almost hitting an employee. the driver inadvertently stepped on the gas when trying to park. no one was injured. if you're traveling today, or even just running out for a minute, a word of warning when you're filling up on gas, scammers are out to get you. nbc's dave gutierrez has our report. >> reporter: in michigan, authorities on the hunt for a device secretly planted in gas pumps, stealing credit card information from thousands of consumers. >> how big of a problem is this? >> this is a huge problem. >> reporter: they're called skimmers. the criminals breaking into the pumps with master keys they buy online. look at this man secretly attaching a skimmer in less than a minute. your transaction goes through as normal, unfortunately at the same time it's actually capturing all of your credit card information. >> reporter: criminals so brazen

in this video they know to point their head lights at the security camera to avoid detection. how disturbing is it that this is happening so often? >> it's crazy. >> reporter: in texas, she lost nearly $3,000. >> it was a tremendous nightmare. it puts your life on hold. you can't pay bills. you can't buy groceries. >> reporter: last year the devices cost consumers $2 billion, and it's not just gas stations that are vulnerable. major retailers are also on alert. >> the problem is you have employees using low-level employees, maybe gang affiliated or being coerced by gangs, to bring these skimmers into places of employment. >> reporter: watch this video of a cashier swiping a credit card at the register. then police say, on a skimmer that's out of sight as she grabs a receipt. >> the technology is easily to apply and it's smaller than you would think. >> and you can find it right online. >> that's correct. >> reporter: to protect yourself, avoid gas pumps furthest from the attendant's view, pay inside or use cash and monitor your bank account often. >> it's really blowing our mind

how many there are. >> reporter: a fraud now spreading with credit cards in high demand this holiday season. gabe gutierrez, nbc news, williamston, michigan. the presidential candidates may be laying low on this thanksgiving, but can you guess which one would cause the most trouble at your holiday dinner table? it's how i try to live... how i stay active. so i need nutrition... that won't weigh me down. for the nutrition you want without the calories you don't... introducing boost 100 calories. each delicious snack size drink gives you... 25 vitamins and minerals and 10 grams of protein. so it's big in nutrition and small in calories. i'm not about to swim in the slow lane. stay strong. stay active with boost®. in panama, which is a city of roughly 2 million people, we are having 5,000 new cars being sold every month. this is a very big problem for us with respect to fast and efficient transportation. it's kind of a losing proposition to keep going this way.

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cliffhanger with some major action waiting for us on the other side of the holiday. nbc's hallie jackson reports. ♪ >> reporter: from candidates, a kind of presidential pardon. >> i'm pardoning it for being ugly. >> reporter: giving turkeys a break while they take one. most off the campaign trail for the holiday. >> the holiday for them is an opportunity to maximize your exposure to voters, whether it's at thanksgiving day parades. >> reporter: still a slower holiday week makes momentum key, whether you have it or you don't. like ben carson. slipping double digits in the latest iowa poll, at the same time ted cruz, surging there to within striking distance of donald trump. who issued this warning last week. >> if he catches on i guess we'll have to go to war. >> reporter: the two, their political bromance cooling, potentially on a collision course. >> nobody in his right mind will predict what donald trump is going to say next. but from cruz's point of view

i'm quite confident that he's going to play this very cool. >> reporter: but watch for cruz to draw distinctions on policy if he's attacked by trump. he spent his thanksgiving week with family. a rare appearance by his wife on the campaign trail. >> good evening. he will be the best president ever. >> reporter: another preholiday family outing, the rubios, after the florida senator, now in the top tier, sat down with natalie morales. >> is this where you saw yourself at this point in the race? >> well, it's an unpredictable year. we've never had an election like this. and i would just say that we're very pleased with where we are in this campaign. >> that was hallie jackson reporting. let's welcome syndicated columnist bob franken this morning. happy thanksgiving to you. >> happy thanksgiving to you, dara. by the way, there is no proof to the rumor, no proof whatsoever, that among the balloons in the macy's day parade will be one of donald trump. >> oh. that would be interesting, though, wouldn't it? >> well, there are those who suggest that with all his hot air that perhaps he should be in

the parade. >> oh, i should have seen that one coming. >> that's right. you're a very good straight -- >> bob i do have a question. they're taking a bit of a thanksgiving break for the candidates but they've got iowa ahead, and two republicans, maybe not so restful because you've got ted cruz moving up and ben carson moving down. what is going on there? >> well, what i think is going on is that -- that ben carson was very, very hurt by his display of lack of knowledge, at least the lack of confidence, when it comes to foreign relations. with all the attention that's now being paid because of isis, and all the rest, that's becoming more and more important a vulnerability and it looks like that's taken its toll on ben carson. >> and let's talk about that. because the domestic issues of the economy and things like that, they sort of moved over, now people are discussing terrorism, and the immigration issue. will this pause bode well for the candidates? >> well, i think that it depends on the candidate. there are going to be some who are going to say that because of my experience, i would put ted

cruz, who's had senate experience, although just a little bit of it, but at least he's able to say that he's dealt with international issues. some of the outsiders, like ben carson, and perhaps even donald trump, are going to have a hard time explaining away their lack of expertise. >> so here's a question i have to ask, politics is going to be a hot topic at the table. what do you think is going to be the most discussed, and who do you think is really going to get the most politically opposed relatives all steamed up? >> well, i think that perhaps donald trump. i mean, i hate to give that answer to just about everything, but that seems to be the reality right now. i suspect that if there's the proverbial uncle at the table who is a big trump supporter, i suspect that there might be a few people around the table who are going to suggest that perhaps he should be carved up before the turkey. >> well, here's one for you. who do you think would be the most likely candidate to ruin your thanksgiving dinner? >> oh, you know what? i suspect that true reporter that i am, i would say all of them.

>> all of them. well i'll show you, donald trump, there's a ppp saying that donald trump with 46% of the vote, says that he is going to be the most likely candidate to ruin your thanksgiving dinner. surprising, that's twice as much as hillary clinton and bernie sanders, jeb bush down there. i don't know, i think when you get to the thanksgiving table, it's going to be very interesting conversations this thanksgiving. >> i suspect that it will be even more interesting than the stuffing. >> well, if we're going to be talking turkey, what do you think people are really going to be discussing, outside of the candidates what are the top political issues? >> well, i suspect that maybe some people will be talking about the economy, i suspect that anybody who is thinking of selling his house is going to be talking about the possibility of a rise in interest rates. that kind of thing. but, i'm hoping that most people just enjoy the turkey, and remember that you shouldn't talk with your mouth full. >> bob franken, thank you so much. hope you enjoy your thanksgiving. thanks for being with us. >> thank you. >> before we go, here is one more thing to make you smile on this thanksgiving thursday.

we live in a time where we can get almost anything with the push of a button, and that now includes a potential new best friend delivered right to you. nbc's janet shamlian reports. >> reporter: it's a different kind of happy hour. >> oh, how cute. >> reporter: at an austin advertising agency, does it get any better? puppies delivered to the office. all the love, none of the housebreaking. >> does it relieve the stress of the work day? >> absolutely it does. >> reporter: welcome to uber puppies. >> there you go, girls. go for a ride. >> reporter: the ride sharing app's latest charm offensive. >> just calling to confirm that you requested uber puppies? >> reporter: 30 bucks buys 15 minutes of cuddle time, if you can get them. >> demand for uber in general is very high. and for puppies it pretty much breaks the internet. >> oh! >> reporter: one request from a college photography class.

you signed off on this? >> i did. i mean, it's fun. but, you know, they all wanted to do it. that's fine. i like puppies. >> reporter: a different pair of pups visit a high tech firm. the calls come in nonstop. >> here to deliver puppies. >> reporter: partnering with shelters in a dozen cities it started as a campaign to increase dog adoption. >> this is like delivering christmas, isn't it? >> reporter: it's become much more. >> oh! >> reporter: with holidays looming, the stress busting effect of puppy play dates, a prescription for whatever ails. >> such a sweet girl. yes you are! >> reporter: janet shamlian, nbc news, austin. >> that is way too much cuteness and i'm going to have to order some uber puppies. i'm dara brown and this is "first look" on msnbc. from all of us at "first look" a very happy and healthy thanksgiving to you and your family.

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it's thanksgiving day, thursday, november 26th. right now on "first look," almost 50 million of us are traveling for this truly all-american holiday, as president obama reassures that security is at the forefront of his agenda. meanwhile french president hollande continues meeting with world leaders to shore up security in the fight against isis. new revelations surrounding the death of frank gifford. plus it looks like jason kidd is about to get slapped with a hefty fine. a warning for drivers filling up at the pump using a credit card. and get ready for the biggest thanksgiving day parade anywhere. >> it is hard to believe that this is my seventh year of pardoning a turkey. time flies. even if turkeys don't.

>> that was good. that was good. >> i thought it was pretty good. >> "first look" starts right now. good morning and happy thanksgiving. i'm dara brown. with the paris terror attacks fresh on people's minds, this holiday, are americans safe? with 50 million people traveling away from home, president obama is doing his best to reassure the nation. we start with nbc's peter alexander. >> i want the american people to know that we are taking every possible step to keep our homeland safe. >> reporter: the message in effect, we'll do the worrying, you do the celebrating with a reminder for everyone to stay alert. >> if you see something suspicious, say something, otherwise, americans should go about their usual thanksgiving weekend activities. >> reporter: a new government advisory offers little detailed information, but warns what police already know. that attackers could capitalize on the thanksgiving holiday to promote their agenda. the top concern remains homegrown extremists with soft targets nearly impossible to protect.

>> we have a number of tourist destinations, that's a big part of our economy. certainly we're always vigilant to anything happening there. >> reporter: this week hundreds of newly assigned officers to the nypd's critical response command prepared for nightmare scenarios. simulating both active shooters and hostage takers. >> this is an elite, dedicated force, trained in counterterrorism, they'll be briefed on the intelligence every day. this is really a force for today's threat picture. >> reporter: even ahead of the thanksgiving day parade with 3 million people expected, police are deploying extra security as crews inflate the trademark balloons. >> i believe we can't live in fear. >> of course, it's on our minds and they want us to live in fear and we feel we can't. >> reporter: while paris brought the terror threat closer to home, u.s. security officials say they are working relentlessly to prevent any attack here. >> that was peter alexander reporting. coalition building continues for french president francois hollande. today he's in moscow to meet with russian president vladimir

putin in his ongoing push to form an international team to fight isis. this comes on the heels of meetings hollande had with german chancellor angela merkel yesterday and at the white house on tuesday. however the downing of a russian warplane by nato ally turkey, which putin called a stab in the back, is expected to be a major topic in today's meeting. nbc's claudio lavagne joins us from belgium with the latest. good morning to you, claudio. >> good morning, dara. yes, president hollande just met the prime minister of italy in france, and now he will be on his way to russia to meet president vladimir putin on what is seen as the last stop of a diplomatic marathon through which president hollande is trying to build some kind of global military coalition against isis in syria. and it probably will be the most sensitive one, as you said, russia right now is engaged in a war of words with nato member turkey, after a turkish warplane

downed a russian jet over turkish airspace a couple of days ago and probably what mr. hollande will try to tell president putin is not -- for that not to distract russia from the heavy military campaign against isis in syria. also, while france and russia are both heavily involved in the military campaign in bombing isis in syria, they have very divergent news on how to solve the situation that politically, france, as the other members of the 65 -- 65 country strong coalition believe that there should be some kind of unified government that excludes president bashar al assad from any future -- any political future in syria, while russia is one of the very few countries that still support assad. >> claudio, thank you so much for that report from belgium. well, pope francis is in kenya for his first-ever visit to africa. he was greeted by kenya's

president and members of the clergy. dancers welcome francis upon arrival and large crowds lined the streets to cheer and catch a glimpse of the pope. he's also scheduled to visit uganda and the central african republic, which has been devastated by fighting between christians and muslims. it marks the first time a pope has visited an active armed conflict. francis is looking to bring a message of peace to the continent and doesn't seem concerned for his safety, saying he is quote more afraid of the mosquitos. we've learned that frank gifford the legendary hall of fame player and broadcaster and husband of nbc's own kathie lee gifford suffered from the brain disease known as cte when he passed away back in august. chronic traumatic encephalopathy. the disease has been linked with repeated hard hits to the head. in a statement the family says it's sharing the news so that gifford might inspire other suffering from the disease. and so his family might be a small part of the solution to what it calls an urgent problem concerning anyone involved with football. the family said it will continue

to support the nfl and recent onfield rule changes to make the game as safe as possible. for its part, the nfl said the health and safety of its players remains its highest priority. well, security is expected to be tight in new york city for the 89th annual macy's thanksgiving day parade with more than 2500 police officers lining the parade. a record for the event. jay gray joins us live now from the parade route in new york city and jay, good morning to you. how's it going out there? >> hey, good morning, dara. well we're seeing the stepped-up police presence. a lot more officers than in years past. so far, everything flawless here. take a look behind me. the stars of the show, the massive balloons, are already aired up and ready to go. 17 will be a part of this year's parade. some new ones, too, including scrap from "ice age" the red, angry bird. ronald mcdonald with his fourth different entry into this parade. we'll see 24 of the other, smaller balloonicles they're called.

27 floats. 1100 cheerleaders, or dancers will be a part of this, and more than 1,000 clowns. i guess that's how i got my ticket to be there. yeah, security is going to be tight, but we've already seen families lined up along the roadway here. and we're still hours away from the official start of this parade. so a lot of people very excited about it. in fact, organizers telling us that they believe they could see record crowds lining the parade route here today because of the mild weather that we're seeing right now here in new york. the high today could be close to 60 degrees. much better than it's been in the past when we've seen some rain, we've seen some very cold temperatures. should just be a perfect way to start thanksgiving. of course you can see it all right here on nbc. that is the latest live here from new york along the parade route, i'm jay gray. dara, happy thanksgiving and back to you. >> and a happy thanksgiving to you, jay. thanks for that. well now to sports, the biggest turkey in the nba so far this season, the philadelphia 76ers. they lost the celtics 84-80 and

the team hasn't won a game since march of last season. they're on a 26-game losing streak, and the team also had a 26-game losing streak just two seasons ago. in milwaukee, bucks head coach jason kidd likely just cost himself tens of thousands of dollars in fines. that ball slap got a technical and an ejection from the game. the coach said he was frustrated by the ref's calls but watch for the nba to come down hard on kidd. kings win this 121-113. speaking of kidd our intrepid producer, he knows two years ago almost to the day of kidd's infamous soda spill incident. a player bumped into kidd who appeared to mouth the words hit me and then happens to drop his soda on the floor, thus allowing him the time he needed to draw up a last-second play. his team still lost. and get ready for a full helping of football on this thanksgiving. it starts with the eagles at detroit followed by the undefeated panthers heading into dallas and capped off right here on nbc with da bears descending

on lambeau field and the green bay packers. enjoy. well, many across the country will be waking up to snow and rain. your thanksgiving weather is straight ahead. and the military rules on a west point tradition that took a terrible turn over the summer. details up next. plus a dicey situation at one pizza joint. details when you're watching "first look."

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dangerous winds near sacramento. 11 people were injured when a gust blew through a flea market. tossing tents into the air. and the san diego area will be under a coastal flood advisory through today and into tomorrow because of this. king tides. where waves can reach 7 1/2 feet. that gravitational pull from the moon really makes a big difference on the west coast. here's what's happening right now. a blizzard. in fact if you're driving in southern wyoming, and many people are traveling, of course, since it's thanksgiving, we're looking at dangerous conditions

with blowing and drifting snow. and if that's not enough, ice, measurable ice, over a quarter of an inch, even half an inch in some areas. when you start getting that much ice, unfortunately power outages are likely when they coat the areas along the power poles. wichita even into kansas city, we could see icy conditions all the way up to iowa. so, behind this system you can see much colder air. look at denver for thanksgiving, 22 degrees. 36 in minneapolis, with snow. and as we look to the east it's just the opposite. we have fantastic weather here in new york. 61 is the high today. i can't remember the last time it was like that on a thanksgiving. 64 in washington, d.c. nice and warm across florida. atlanta looking good, in the 60s. and chicago still dealing with rain, and the chicago forecast is interesting, because it is going to change. we'll be looking at wet and windy conditions, and temperatures dropping into the 40s tonight. so don't let the 60 degree fool you. lots of changes this weekend, dara, as we transition. you know, this is the time of

year we start moving closer to winter. >> absolutely. i've got the coat out already. bonnie, thank you so much. new this morning, pillow fights are now banned at west point after injuries from the fight on august 20th. 24 freshmen cadets suffered concussions and six others were also injured with fractured cheeks and a broken nose. the problem. some cadets were filling the pillowcases with hard objects like helmets. the traditional pillow fights were a way for new cadets to start camaraderie at the start of their gruelling first year. the tradition's dated back to 2001. and the mother who left a newborn in the manger of a church in queens, new york, has been found, this after surveillance video of her surfaced buying several towels at a nearby store which she used to wrap her newborn its umbilical cord still attached. the mother will not face prosecution because new york has a safe haven law which allows someone to anonymously leave a baby up to 30 days old at a church. check out this frightening video of a car barreling into a pizza place in san bernardino, california, and slamming into a couple eating dinner.

according to investigators the driver had a seizure and accidentally hit the gas pedal. luckily no one sustained serious injuries. and in colorado, another car crashed into a warehouse, almost hitting an employee. the driver inadvertently stepped on the gas when trying to park. no one was injured. if you're traveling today, or even just running out for a minute, a word of warning when you're filling up on gas, scammers are out to get you. nbc's dave gutierrez has our report. >> reporter: in michigan, authorities on the hunt for a device secretly planted in gas pumps, stealing credit card information from thousands of consumers. >> how big of a problem is this? >> this is a huge problem. >> reporter: they're called skimmers. the criminals breaking into the pumps with master keys they buy online. look at this man secretly attaching a skimmer in less than a minute. your transaction goes through as normal, unfortunately at the same time it's actually capturing all of your credit card information. >> reporter: criminals so brazen in this video they know to point their head lights at the security camera to avoid

detection. how disturbing is it that this is happening so often? >> it's crazy. >> reporter: in texas, she lost nearly $3,000. >> it was a tremendous nightmare. it puts your life on hold. you can't pay bills. you can't buy groceries. >> reporter: last year the devices cost consumers $2 billion, and it's not just gas stations that are vulnerable. major retailers are also on alert. >> the problem is you have employees using low-level employees, maybe gang affiliated or being coerced by gangs, to bring these skimmers into places of employment. >> reporter: watch this video of a cashier swiping a credit card at the register. then police say, on a skimmer that's out of sight as she grabs a receipt. >> the technology is easily to apply and it's smaller than you would think. >> and you can find it right online. >> that's correct. >> reporter: to protect yourself, avoid gas pumps furthest from the attendant's view, pay inside or use cash and monitor your bank account often. >> it's really blowing our mind how many there are. >> reporter: a fraud now spreading with credit cards in

high demand this holiday season. gabe gutierrez, nbc news, williamston, michigan. the presidential candidates may be laying low on this thanksgiving, but can you guess which one would cause the most trouble at your holiday dinner table? constipated? trust number one doctor recommended dulcolax use dulcolax tablets for gentle overnight relief suppositories for relief in minutes and stool softeners for comfortable relief of hard stools. dulcolax, designed for dependable relief cleans so well, it keeps new your underwear cleaner.ude.

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it's been a whirlwind election season so far with a lot to talk about. but today, on thanksgiving, a collective deep breath for candidates and voters alike. it's a bit of a political cliffhanger with some major action waiting for us on the other side of the holiday.

nbc's hallie jackson reports. ♪ >> reporter: from candidates, a kind of presidential pardon. >> i'm pardoning it for being ugly. >> reporter: giving turkeys a break while they take one. most off the campaign trail for the holiday. >> the holiday presents an opportunity to maximize your exposure to voters, whether it's the thanksgiving day parades. >> reporter: still a slower holiday week makes momentum key, whether you have it or you don't. like ben carson. slipping double digits in the latest iowa poll, at the same time ted cruz, surging there to within striking distance of donald trump. who issued this warning last week. >> if he catches on i guess we'll have to go to war. >> reporter: the two, their political bromance cooling, potentially on a collision course. >> nobody in his right mind will predict what donald trump is going to say next. but from cruz's point of view i'm quite confident that he's going to play this very cool.

>> reporter: but watch for cruz to draw distinctions on policy if he's attacked by trump. he spent his thanksgiving week with family. a rare appearance by his wife on the campaign trail. >> good evening. he will be the best president ever. >> reporter: another preholiday family outing, the rubios, after the florida senator, now in the top tier, sat down with natalie morales. >> is this where you saw yourself at this point in the race? >> well, it's an unpredictable year. we've never had an election like this. and i would just say that we're very pleased with where we are in this campaign. >> that was hallie jackson reporting. let's welcome syndicated columnist bob franken this morning. happy thanksgiving to you. >> happy thanksgiving to you, dara. by the way, there is no proof to the rumor, no proof whatsoever, that among the balloons in the macy's day parade will be one of donald trump. >> oh. that would be interesting, though, wouldn't it? >> well, there are those who suggest that with all his hot air that perhaps he should be in the parade.

>> oh, i should have seen that one coming. >> that's right. you're a very good straight -- >> bob i do have a question. they're taking a bit of a thanksgiving break for the candidates but they've got iowa ahead, and two republicans, maybe not so restful because you've got ted cruz moving up and ben carson moving down. what is going on there? >> well, what i think is going on is that -- that ben carson was very, very hurt by his display of lack of knowledge, at least the lack of confidence, when it comes to foreign relations. with all the attention that's now being paid because of isis, and all the rest, that's becoming more and more important a vulnerability and it looks like that's taken its toll on ben carson. >> and let's talk about that. because the domestic issues of the economy and things like that, they sort of moved over, now people are discussing terrorism, and the immigration issue. will this pause bode well for the candidates? >> well, i think that it depends on the candidate. there are going to be some who are going to say that because of my experience, i would put ted

cruz, who's had senate experience, although just a little bit of it, but at least he's able to say that he's dealt with international issues. some of the outsiders, like ben carson, and perhaps even donald trump, are going to have a hard time explaining away their lack of expertise. >> so here's a question i have to ask, politics is going to be a hot topic at the table. what do you think is going to be the most discussed, and who do you think is really going to get the most politically opposed relatives all steamed up? >> well, i think that perhaps donald trump. i mean, i hate to give that answer to just about everything, but that seems to be the reality right now. i suspect that if there's the proverbial uncle at the table who is a big trump supporter, i suspect that there might be a few people around the table who are going to suggest that perhaps he should be carved up before the turkey. >> well, here's one for you. who do you think would be the most likely candidate to ruin your thanksgiving dinner? >> oh, you know what? i suspect that true reporter that i am, i would say all of them. >> all of them. well i'll show you, donald trump, there's a ppp saying that

donald trump with 46% of the vote, says that he is going to be the most likely candidate to ruin your thanksgiving dinner. surprising, that's twice as much as hillary clinton and bernie sanders, jeb bush down there. i don't know, i think when you get to the thanksgiving table, it's going to be very interesting conversations this thanksgiving. >> i suspect that it will be even more interesting than the stuffing. >> well, if we're going to be talking turkey, what do you think people are really going to be discussing, outside of the candidates what are the top political issues? >> well, i suspect that maybe some people will be talking about the economy, i suspect that anybody who is thinking of selling his house is going to be talking about the possibility of a rise in interest rates. that kind of thing. but, i'm hoping that most people just enjoy the turkey, and remember that you shouldn't talk with your mouth full. >> bob franken, thank you so much. hope you enjoy your thanksgiving. thanks for being with us. >> thank you. >> before we go, here is one more thing to make you smile on this thanksgiving thursday. we live in a time where we can

get almost anything with the push of a button, and that now includes a potential new best friend delivered right to you. nbc's janet shamlian reports. >> reporter: it's a different kind of happy hour. >> oh, how cute. >> reporter: at an austin advertising agency, the tonic for a rough day. does it get any better? puppies delivered to the office. all the love, none of the housebreaking. >> does it relieve the stress of the work day? >> absolutely it does. >> reporter: welcome to uber puppies. >> there you go, girls. go for a ride. >> reporter: the ride sharing app's latest charm offensive. >> just calling to confirm that you requested uber puppies? >> reporter: 30 bucks buys 15 minutes of cuddle time, if you can get them. >> demand for uber in general is very high. and for puppies it pretty much breaks the internet. >> oh! >> reporter: one request from a college photography class. you signed off on this?

>> i did. i mean, it's fun. but, you know, they all wanted to do it. that's fine. i like puppies. >> reporter: a different pair of pups visit a high tech firm. the calls come in nonstop. >> here to deliver puppies. >> reporter: partnering with shelters in a dozen cities it started as a campaign to increase dog adoption. >> this is like delivering christmas, isn't it? >> reporter: it's become much more. >> oh! >> reporter: with holidays looming, the stress busting effect of puppy play dates, a prescription for whatever ails. >> such a sweet girl. yes you are! >> reporter: janet shamlian, nbc news, austin. >> that is way too much cuteness and i'm going to have to order some uber puppies. i'm dara brown and this is "first look" on msnbc. from all of us at "first look" a very happy and healthy thanksgiving to you and your family.

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the if it's wednesday, aaa says 50,000 americans are traveling 50 miles or more. president obama tells a nervous nation our homeland security forces are effective. this is mtp daily and it starts now. good evening from new york. i'm steve in for chuck todd. we are following breaking news on two big fronts this hour. first, protesters are expected to gather shortly in downtown chicago following the release of