it's wednesday, december 30th, right now on "first look." historic and dangerous flooding inundates missouri. over a dozen killed. and rivers aren't expected to crest for days. the affluenza teen and his mom could be back in the u.s. today after being captured in a max can resort. is jail time next? the front-runners preparing for political battle as a billionaire backs the ohio long shot. plus, a hover bord takes down iron mike tyson. oprah's latest message for her legions of fans. and some big winners and losers in the world of sports. "first look" starts right now. good morning, i'm dara brown. it is the worst flooding in 30 years. at least 13 people have died as extreme storms have given way to

swollen rivers. that may not crest for a few days. missouri governor jay nixon has activated the national guard to assist rescue operations. nbc's dan schenemen has the latest. >> reporter: in the missouri, flood waters and fear are both on the rise. residents in the town of union hope sandbags would save their community. when waters spilled over a levee in west alton people were told to evacuate. rising waters have left some people stranded. one man had to be rescued from the roof of his home. >> the water started coming up pretty quick, and before i knew it, i was kind of overwhelmed. had to call the fire department to bail me out. >> reporter: this has been the wettest december on record in st. louis and missouri is under a state of emergency. governor jay nixon has called in the national guard. he warned residents that the threat is far from over. >> now that the rain has moved out, the threat has changed but it is not by any means over, especially for communities along the rising mississippi river and

its tributaries here in the st. louis region. >> reporter: there are also dangerously high waters in the southeast. fast moving rivers have taken out several roads in georgia while in alabama, up to 14 inches of rain fell in some areas. some 14 million americans are now under flood watches. dan schenemen, nbc news. meanwhile, some good news out of texas. a family whose home was destroyed during a weekend tornado found their dogs. amid the destruction. the pooches were buried for two days under the rubble of two houses, and while in some pain, they're going to be okay. the texas affluenza teen and his mother could be extradited to u.s. as early as today according to u.s. marshals. ethan couch and his mother, tonia were apprehended in puerto vallarta, mexico. and according to the associated press, it was a domino's pizza order that led to their capture. nbc's gabe gutierrez reports. >> reporter: after a two-week international manhunt, ethan couch and his mother tonya await

their return to the u.s. mexican authorities caught the pair in this department around 6:00 p.m. monday in the popular resort town of puerto vallarta. and his hair died black, they believe to avoid capture. this butcher says the teenager paid cash and seemed nervous. police say the pair did not resist arrest. now investigators are racing to find out if they had help in what the sheriff calls a premeditated escape in this pickup truck, from fort worth, ending up some 960 miles away in puerto vallarta. >> they basically had a gathering before they left and, you know, kind of characterized it as more or less a going away party. >> couch's case gained worldwide attention after he killed four people near fort worthwhile driving drunk in 2013. during sentencing couch's attorney argued the teen did not fully understand the difference between right and wrong, due to his affluent upbringing. the judge gave him no jail time, but ten year's probation. earlier this month, cell phone video of this party surfaced on social media. witnesses claim couch was there.

although he's not seen drinking in the video, alcohol use would violate his probation. the sheriff believes that's what prompted couch to run. once he's back in texas, a judge could keep the case in juvenile court which would allow the teenager to go free on his 19th birthday this coming april. or the case could be transferred to adult courts, where a judge could sentence him to just 120 days in jail. >> nbc's gabe gutierrez reporting there. couch's attorney has declined to comment until their client is back in the u.s. and prosecutors say they intend to charge tonya couch with hindering apprehension, a major offense under texas law that carries a possible sentence of one to ten years in prison. hillary clinton is changing her position, now accusing isis of committing genocide. against christians and other religious minorities in the middle east. that label is a departure from an earlier posture and is not used yet by the white house. clinton says there is now enough evidence to call it genocide. on the money front,

billionaire investor ron burkele who usually donates to democrats, including big money to hillary clinton in 2008, will support republican governor john kasich this time around. meanwhile donald trump is getting specific on a promise to ramp up campaign spending. nbc's edward lawrence has more from washington. >> reporter: donald trump has a new tactic and a new target. he says he will start spending $2 million a week on campaign ads. >> so, i'm going to be doing big ads in iowa, new hampshire, south carolina and they're going to be very substantial. and i think they're very well done. i've seen the first two or three of them. i'm very proud of them. >> reporter: some experts worry this may be the wrong move. >> i think it's also a little bit risky. what if they look conventional. i mean, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. so the notion that donald trump would start running a conventional campaign should concern him a little bit. >> reporter: a new rasmussen poll shows trump and clinton in a toss-up if the election were today. that may be why he's now

attacking hillary clinton through her husband, former president bill clinton. calling him the sexist one. meanwhile senator marco rubio picked up an endorsement in key primary state south carolina from congressman trey gowdy. >> if we get down the stretch, some of it gets a little nasty in their attacks. that's fine. we're going to continue to campaign on what i'm going to do when i'm president. >> reporter: rubio also defended his voting record in the senate. edward lawrence, nbc news, washington. the pilot of a small single-engine plane is dead after the aircraft crashed in downtown anchorage, alaska, yesterday. the plane clipped an office building before slamming into another building and bursting into flames. authorities say the 42-year-old pilot was not authorized to fly the plane. no other injuries have been reported. and investigators say windy weather conditions may have played a role in the crash. but they are not ruling out other factors at this time. al jazeera is digging in its heels on their report suggesting legendary quarterback peyton manning was somehow involved with performance

enhancing drugs. as the network tries to clear up what exactly it's implying, manning is still fighting back. both sides say their version of the story is accurate. nbc's blake mccoy reports. >> reporter: under increased scrutiny, al jezeera is defending and clarifying its reporting that ties quarterback peyton manning to performance-enhancing drugs. >> do you have specific evidence that peyton manning himself has ever taken hgh? >> we have not said that in the program. we're not making the allegation against peyton manning. >> reporter: al jazeera is backtracking and retreating says manning crisis manager and former white house press secretary ari fleischer. their story was not credible to begin with, he says, and it's not credible now. a time line of events is undisputed. manning suffered a neck injury in 2010. he admits receiving treatment at the guyer institute in 2011 as he sat out the season. >> they had a hyperbaric chamber that coach, trainers and doctors thought might be good for me. >> reporter: in 2012 muning stunned critics with a

remarkable comeback playing for the denver broncos. al jazeera's documentary never directly says manning took human growth hormone or hgh but the implication is strong. >> johnny sly thinks he was part of a medical team that helped manning recover. >> absolutely false. >> reporter: their source, who has since recanted his claim, says the nfl banned substance was shipped repeatedly to manning's wife ashley. peyton says his wife's medical treatments are her business. blake mccoy, nbc news, los angeles. let's get down to business now with cnbc's landon dowdy. good morning you to, landon. >> good morning to you, as well. you only have a few hours left to be a toys "r" us kid in new york city. the retailer is closing its flagship store in times square today, deciding not to renew its lease due to rising rents. the store features a lego empire state building and a 60-foot indoor ferris wheel. toys "r" us is searching for other locations in manhattan. star wars helped propel the north american box office to a record haul this year, $11

billion. but it wasn't just the force awakens that drove people to theaters. there was a blockbuster nearly every month from fifty shades of gray in february to furious seven in april and jurassic world in june. u.p.s. hit the mark this holiday season, delivering everything in time for christmas while rival fedex stumbled. u.p.s. says it took a disciplined approach this year, including telling retailers of a hard cutoff date to get orders delivered using its cheaper ground service. >> landon thanks so much. now to sports after being shut out of the playoffs the philadelphia eagles have jettisoned coach chip kelly after three seasons with one game remaining on the schedule. the newly fired kelly says he wants to remain in coaching and avoid the front office. look for kelly and tennessee to talk in the coming days. in college hoops top ranked michigan state hit a brick wall in the form of the unranked iowa hawkeyes. the undefeated spartans trailed the entire game at one point by as many as 19. the iowa faithful stormed the court after the 83-70 win their

first against a number one ranked team in 16 years. nbc sports is reporting citing multiple reports out of miami that number one clemson has sent three players home from the orange bowl for failed drug tests. the players in question are wide receiver dion king, kicker amen lakip and jj mccullough. a press conference is planned for later this morning. next action 17th ranked baylor upset number 10 north carolina in the russell athletic ball. jefferson ran for 229 yards and two touchdowns as the bears downed the tar heels 49-38. lsu made easy work of texas tech, 56-27 in the texas bowl. leonard corn net had 260 yards and five touchdowns. former heavy weight champ mike tyson decided to give the hoverboard a try. he shared an instagram video of him riding the board before tumbling to the ground with a thud. the video -- ouch that hurt -- the video has since gone viral.

well, a priest on the hoverboard leads to an unholy outcome. plus oprah. will she hit pay dirt with her latest venture? you're watching "first look."

welcome back to "first look," i'm meteorologist bonnie schneider. we're still tracking some snow into kansas city and omaha but nothing like we saw earlier this week. there are some dangerous thunderstorms, though. look at this working through new orleans and into gulfport, mississippi and mobile. be careful if you're driving out there. many of you are traveling because we're looking at substantial rainfall. 17 million people at risk for flooding in georgia and north carolina. this is not including what we're expecting along the mississippi river, with the flood crest there. but watch out for heavy rain across parts of the southeast. temperatures are finally getting colder. even in chicago, we'll look for a high of 30 degrees, and that cold air plunging from the northern plains, keeping temperatures in the 20s. one place, though, it's still very warm is florida. tampa, six consecutive days of record highs. i think today you might hit it again with 85 degrees. that is warm even for tampa.

and then for the last day of the year, we're looking at the cold getting even colder for the great lakes but still pretty comfortable in new york with 49 for the high. 27 for chicago. and 53 for dallas. so, the weather looks a little calmer, which is some good news, dara. >> bonnie, thanks so much for that. now to florida where thats are searching for a man caught on surveillance video stealing an 84-year-old woman's purse while she was praying in church. the purse was found two days later at a nearby cemetery. but without her wallet or money. in the philippines one priest is in hot water for riding a hoverboard during christmas eve mass to grab the attention of the congregation. the diocese of san pablo suspended the priest after this cell phone video went viral, saying in a statement that was wrong, it is not a personal celebration where one can capriciously introduce something to get the attention of people. the video has inspired debate online on whether or not the priest did anything wrong. oprah winfrey is back

opening up about her struggles with weight in a new weight watcher's campaign. as nbc's stephanie gosk tells us, oprah hopes fans will relate as she tries to shed pounds. >> every time i tried and failed -- >> reporter: there are testimonials and then there are testimonials. >> many times you look in the mirror and you don't even recognize your own self. >> reporter: in a newly released commercial, oprah winfrey is asking people who struggle with their weight, just as she has, to join weight watchers. >> inside every overweight woman is a woman she knows she can be. >> reporter: the woman who turned unknown doctors into stars no-name books into best-sellers -- >> and what we want to do is start a book club here on the oprah show. >> reporter: and entrepreneurs into overnight success stories -- >> spanx now is -- we have over 100 products. >> reporter: has a new favorite thing, weight watchers. and she owns 10% of the company.

>> she might as well own 100%. a lot of people are going to be joining because of oprah. they believe in oprah. not just the product, but oprah, the person. >> reporter: at this weight watchers in new york, longtime member and coach says oprah's pitch is effective, because it's so relatable. >> when you watch the commercial, did you immediately connect with it? >> i started to cry. >> did you really? >> yeah. >> reporter: why? >> because it was so moving and i felt like it was my story, too. >> are you ready? let's do this together. >> reporter: stephanie gosk, nbc news, new york. a battle between christie and rubio gets uglier, "scrambled politics" is up next. ♪ (cell phone rings) where are you? well the squirrels are back in the attic. mom? your dad won't call an exterminator... can i call you back, mom? he says it's personal this time... if you're a mom, you call at the worst time. it's what you do. if you want to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance,

you switch to geico. it's what you do. where are you? it's very loud there. are you taking a zumba class?

time now for "scrambled politics." the fading ben carson says he's going to make changes to his campaign. he'll make that announcement public next week. but it could be worse, he could be george pat ki who suspended his campaign yesterday, as "the washington post" points out, pataki will always have june 2nd, when he was tied with donald trump at 3%. with gop candidates descending on early voting states a month out from the iowa caucus things are getting chippy. it's a bit like a family soap opera. it all starts with two new ads from the pro-jeb bush right to rise pac. the first is called three governors, and lists why bush is a better choice than john kasich or chris christie. the kasich campaign responded quickly arguing the ad point by point before asking, has jeb

done anything lately? the other target, chris christie. we'll get back to him in a minute. now, right to rise's second ad called briefing goes after marco rubio's voting record on the senate. so here's where it gets good. rubio is already fighting that battle with another gop candidate. from "the new york times," marco rubio and, wait for it, chris christie, belittle each other's work ethic. christie first, then rubio. >> only in washington could you have the guts to stand up and say i'm against something but you have a vote to vote no on and just not go. and then put out a press release after it gets passed and say this is why i was opposed to it. well, dude, show up to work. and vote no. right? just show up to work and vote no. if you don't want to, then quit. >> my time in the senate i have a 90% attendance record. chris has been missing in new jersey for half the time. but i think as we get down the stretch some of them get a

little desperate and a little nasty in their attacks. that's fine. we're going to continue the campaign on what i'm going to do when i'm president. >> in case you were keeping score at home like we do here at msnbc, here's the list of the four senators still in the race, along with a percentage of senate votes they've missed since announcing their candidacies. rubio was the last here to make it official and has missed almost 47%, which is the most. and that is your morning dish of "scrambled politics." well let's bring in msnbc political reporter jane timm. good morning to you, jane. >> good morning. >> now, we got a surprising boost here for john kasich getting the support of ron burkele the billionaire investor and former democrat supporter who supported the clintons. what is this going to do for kasich's campaign? >> it's going to signal that join basic has that crossover that many people thought he'd have. it helps him hold on for a little longer. he needs some time before the establishment candidate can break out. he is the person who this will benefit the most. maybe he can hold on a little

longer, compete with jeb bush who has a whole lot of money backing him, to get in there so if there is space for an establishment candidate to break out john kasich will have the money to compete with that. >> with the republican field narrowing now how important is this for kasich at this time? >> you know, i think it's pretty key. there's space for an establishment candidate to break out with these candidates. but which one is it going to be? there's christie, there's kasich, there's bush. there's a lot of people who are in that space and they're pulling support from each other. so, you know, three of those can't get out the third one's going to benefit from that and this will help him maybe continue moving up the polls. >> let's talk about ted cruz. because he also got some endorsements but he got it from the house. he's got support from the d.c. beltway with some of the house conservatives now backing him, showing up, being on the campaign trail with him. is this going to help his momentum going into iowa? >> you know, i'm not sure iowa voters particularly care about what d.c. thinks. i think there's a lot of resentment against the political leaders that exist. and i think that endorsements that you see from within iowa,

you get a conservative blogger yesterday, as well, to endorsing ted cruz those things i think will help a little bit more but this is a race that favors outsiders. i'm not sure endorsements are going to clinch any race for anybody here. >> and how is iowa looking right now? what do you see? >> you know, cruz looks really strong. he's got a lot of momentum. but, of course, it's very hard for someone who opposes ethanol, ethanol subsidies to do well there. we'll see the ethanol the bill people who are supporting corn subsidies are really going hard against cruz. it's going to be a really interesting month. >> definitely. jane timm thank you so much for that. >> thank you. just ahead, it was one for the record books in pompano beach, florida. full details coming up next.

now to entertainment. glee actor has been arrested on suspicion of possessing child pornography. officials arrested the actor before searching his los angeles home. his bail was set at $20,000. can you imagine leonardo dicaprio in "star wars"? well, that almost happened. dicaprio tells the short list that he turned down an offer from george lucas to play aniccen skywalker in the "star wars" prequel. hayden christianson was, instead, cast for the role. ahead of thursday's cotton bowl, cheerleaders for alabama and michigan state had their own showdown, corn hole style. the football tradition was taken to new heights thanks to goodyear setting a guinness world record for the largest game of corn hole ever, flying over 200 feet in the air the cheer liters tossed bean bags out of a blimp. even their mascot had some fun. that looks like a fun time. >> it does look like fun.

>> i would be afraid that i would fall out. >> that's true. >> i'm dara brown and this is "first look" on msnbc. don't forget to like us on facebook. "way too early" starts right now. parts of missouri under water. and this morning, officials say hundreds of homes are still in the flood zone. we'll have the latest as the water continues to rise. plus -- >> can you imagine bush? he spent -- think of this, $59 million, $59 million and he's at three. you know what? see this woman in the front row? very attractive woman. you would be at seven, and you wouldn't have spent anything. okay? it's true. >> donald trump works the crowd during a campaign stop in iowa, amid new signs that he's about to go all-in. and with friends like these, president obama said he would stop eavesdropping on allies,

but it seems that israel may not have been on that list. it's 5:30 on the east coast, 2:30 out west. this is "way too early." good morning. it's wednesday, december the 30th. i'm louis burgdorf. this morning severe flooding continues to cause havoc in parts of the midwest and southeast. in missouri, and illinois, there have been at least 18 reported deaths from flooding, and the governor of missouri has activated the state's national guard to assist first responders, and to secure areas that have been evacuated. >> think about people that have gone through it, and then you think, did i -- was i that uncaring that i didn't know that people had to go through this? but it's devastating. >> in pulaski