is the one-two punch helping or hurting? mountain of trouble. a snowborder causes an avalanche. he makes it out alive but will he dipg himself out of the legal trouble he could be facing today, thursday, january 21st, 2016. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from studio 1a. >> good morning, everybody. when we played that video, with the sound up, it would have sounded like, beep, beep. preparations underway for what could be a historic storm. the nation's capital got a small taste of what's to come last night. if this was a trial run, its did not go well. here's a look at the traffic on

i-270, outside d.c. this morning. our weather team, al and dylan, have it all covered. dylan, let's start with you. good morning. >> good morning, matt. you know, it's been 94 years since washington, d.c. has had a two foot snowstorm and we're waiting for it to come this weekend. the salt depot here says they're ready for it. this is what 22,000 tons of salt looks like. add that to dozens of trucks and more on standby, you think we're good to go as we await the weekend's potentially historic blizzard. last night, just one inch, shows d.c. has more preparing to do. >> reporter: call it the storm before the storm. a small taste of what's to come. people stuck on d.c. high highways shighways for hours. >> cars are abandoned and everything. >> reporter: the traffic report

>> many drivers still caught up in the volume, which has come to a stop. >> reporter: not even president obama's motorcade could avoid the wintry mess. slipping and sliding with everyone else on the roads. hundreds of crashes reported in virginia. navigation systems showing a travel nightmare after an inch of snow. a historic storm is less than 48 hours away. >> could have top two, three of all time. >> if this is what a single inch does, how can we handle a blizzard? the mayor of d.c. asking drivers to stay off the roads. 2,000 volunteers ready to help those in need. >> we haven't had a forecast that stormed 24 inches in my memory. >> reporter: last time d.c. saw something this bad, 2010, shutting down the city for days. bad memories for taylor of this hardware store.

>> reporter: preparations already underway. >> home depot is out of everything. >> reporter: at a costco, shelves empty. lines ominously long. >> i need the eggs. >> we're picking up extra wine and beer. >> reporter: at reagan airport, travelers trying to escape early. several airplanes waving fees for passengers to switch flights. >> even the uber driver was like, get ready, man. >> reporter: residents along the east coast are bracing for the winter storm. >> get ready, everybody. >> yesterday at reagan national, it wasn't much better. we landed fine. we were delayed more than an hour for a gate. there's only one deicer, and it's at the gate. there was nowhere to go. people are happy this is hitting on a saturday. maybe everybody stays home. >> thank you very much. >> al, what do you expect? >> we brought some accumulations down as you get north, but we

still feel like it'll be a major deal for our friends in the washington area, virginia. 80 million people plus affected by some sort of winter storm watch, warning, blizzard watch. we have blizzard watches in the new york city area, washington and baltimore area. a blizzard basically means for three hours or more, you have sustained winds of 35 miles per hour or greater. falling snow and dropping the visibility to less than 1/4 mile. here's where we have the system now. it'll cause severe weather for florida, possibility of tornadoes, but snow from memphis all the way to washington, d.c. starting later today. as we get into early saturday, we're looking for blizzard conditioning dropping in the mid-atlantic. costal low will form. off the carolina, it'll move off the coast. saturday, it starts to strengthen. heavy snow from philadelphia to washington, d.c. winds increase here in new york city. costal threats, we're looking at wind gusts of 60 miles per hour. that's going to cause costal

augmented by the fact there is an astronomical high tide. flooding from long island to new jersey. as far as accumulations, the big number is going to be somewhere in west virginia or western virginia. for example, harrisonburg, snow through saturday, 24 inches or more. we go to our nation's capital. we expect the snow to start sometime friday afternoon. there's blizzard watches that begin friday during the evening rush hour. 18 to 24 inches. philadelphia, city of brotherly love, the snow will begin sometime late friday through early saturday morning. heavy, wet snow. look for power lines coming down. there's going to be stress on roofs. the snowfall forecast, 10 to 16 inches. here in new york city, look for about 5 to 8 inches of snow. wind gusts of 50 miles per hour, costal flooding. that'll also bring problems. blizzard watch saturday and sunday.

then move to boston. boston, you lucked out. you're going to only see, maybe, two inches of snow through saturday afternoon into sunday morning. by sunday afternoon, it is out of here. but there's a lot of moving parts to this system, which we will continue to cover. >> after last year, the folks in boston could use a break. >> exactly. >> al, thanks very much. let's talk about the rough ride on wall street. the worst a start to a year in history. at one point in on wednesday, the dow dropped more than 550 points before a late rally to close down about 249 points. driving it all? plungeing oil prices, at the lowest level since 2003. olivia sternss sis at the new york stock exchange. low oil prices are a good thing, generally speaking, but they're falling so fast, they're sweeping up not only energy stocks. >> that's right, matt. good morning. this is because it's not just

about chevron and exronxonexxon, it's because the energy industry overall is a big piece of the american economy. when these big energy companies have to slash their plans for spending and they have to lay off thousands of people, all the companies and communities that support these big oil majors suffer. that's exactly what we've seen already happening in places like north dakota and oklahoma. a few years ago, these boom towns on the back of shale oil, they're now hurting, matt. >> after what starts in the day, we go down 500 something points, were we seeing panic selling? >> indeed. wall street is a herd mentality, so momentum is in and of itself. in a selloff and a rally. the force of the selling seems to be stronger. people down here joke that wall street predicted nine of the last five recessions. the truth is, we did go an unusually long period without a correction in the market. we went four years until last year.

now, the fed raised rates and they don't come out every time the stock market starts to wobble and say, don't worry, we'll keep rates lower for longer. the truth is, matt, this is an economy that has been producing 200,000 jobs now for four straight years. we're still growing at about 2.5%. that is not an economy on the brink of recession. >> olivia stearns, thanks very much. i like that joke. >> me, too. little wall street humor for your day. let's talk politics. the presidential race, 11 days left before the iowa caucuses. the feud between republican rivals donald trump and ted cruz is really escalating. the candidates trying out new jabs as new trump backer sarah palin hits the campaign trail with jabs of her own. we have complete coverage, beginning with peter alexander. good morning. >> good morning to you. with that friendship now giving way to a feud, it is the head to head matchup that could decide the next republican nominee.

ted cruz aggressively trying to unify conservatives, arguing that supporting trump means siding with the washington establishment. >> reporter: donald trump zeroing in on his number one target, ted cruz. >> he's two-faced. >> reporter: railing at his rival with the ultimate insult for any republican. >> worse than hillary. >> reporter: cruz casting himself as the true conservative. >> we're seeing the washington establishment abandoning marco rubio and unifying behind donald trump. mr. trump's pitch to the washington establishment is he's a deal maker. >> reporter: that rebuttal after bob dole told the "new york times" the gop would suffer losses if cruz becomes its nominee. sarah palin talking for trump got personal. >> it's the elephant in the room. >> reporter: the former vice presidential pick addressing headlines about her son, arrested on monday for domestic violence against his girlfriend.

>> my son, like so many others, they come back a bit different. they come back hardened. it starts from the top. the question though, it comes from our own president, where they have to look at him and wonder, do you know what we go through? do you know what we're trained to do? to secure america. >> reporter: cruz securing his own reality tv star power, with an endorsement from "duck dynasty." >> they kill a duck and make a good duck gumbo. >> reporter: with trump and cruz slugging it out, the establishment candidates eyeing an opening. >> new this morning, jfk's grandson is diving into the debate. ted cruz is no jack kennedy. pouncing on cruz's claim that kennedy would be a republican today. he wriets,tes, i find this suggestion that cruz is taking up my grandfather's mantle absurd absurd. >> peter, thank you. let's look at the democrats now with bernie sanders surging. hillary clinton's campaign is

pulling out all the stops to try to slow his growing momentum. nbc's andrea mitchell is in iowa with more on that. hi, andrea. good morning. >> good morning, matt. hillary clinton is crisscrossing iowa today, trying to prevent bernie sanders from sweeping both iowa and his neighboring new hampshire. >> thank you. >> reporter: hillary clinton in iowa, fighting off a bernie sanders surge. >> it's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get back up. i've gotten back up time and time and time again. >> reporter: touting her experience in a new ad, invoking 9/11. >> the senator who helped a city rise again. the secretary of state who stood up for america. >> reporter: sanders unleashed his own ad, showcasing his vote against the iraq war, which she supported. >> i voted against the war in iraq, and that was the right vote. >> reporter: clinton is relying on her husband to make her case. >> this has turned into an interesting election. >> reporter: for the first time, criticizing sanders without naming him.

>> her opponent says, hillary's opponent says, the one place she disagrees with her opponent is -- are the clin >> reporter: the clinton campaign says they want to run against a socialist. >> they want to use the term socialist to frighten people away from bernie sanders. i'm not saying it would be fair. i'm saying it would be a reality. >> reporter: clinton's fear, losing iowa and new hampshire, where one poll shows sanders 27 points ahead. even sanders' aides think it's closer than that. 14,000 volunteers. a new bus to get to rural areas. enough money to go the distance. >> bernie sanders understands how to win buildbuild winning campaigns. he'll bring people in who wouldn't be there unless he's the nominee of the party. >> sanders is in new hampshire today, and clinton heads there tomorrow before both come back

caucuses are a week from monday. matt and savannah? >> andrea, thanks. chuck todd is here, "mod moderator of "meet the press." i wonder why it took so long for the socialism argument to take so long to be front and center. you can imagine republicans running a hammer ad. is this a winning strategy for clinton's campaign? >> right now, i don't know. i think in the long run, when you start getting more states involved, yes, it's possible, when you focus the electorate on that. the iowa democratic caucus, a poll asked democrats whether the word "socialist" or "capitalist" described them. 43% said they're identified as socialist. 38% identified as capitalist. this isn't a winning argument in iowa right now. >> let's go to the republican side. ted cruz is trying outs inging out a new strategy. after months of running against donald trump as the outsiders, splitting the vote, he said, wait a minute, the establishment

of the republican party is starting to come around to donald trump. he's now the establishment candidate. is it effective? >> i don't know yet. i think it's hard to sit there and say that donald trump, and his new pal sarah palin, are part of the establishment. ted cruz is partially right. the establishment is going, if you're going to make us pick between trump and cruz, we'll take trump over cruz. but i think that to sit here and say he can somehow make the connection to voters to say, donald trump is part of the establishment, i don't know if believe that. >> meanwhile, one of the polls i saw in new hampshire had cruz coming in second. usually, new hampshire is the place where moderates and mainstream candidates have their chance to do well. what do you make of cruz making a run in new hampshire? >> cruz is on his own. we talk about the lanes. establishment lane. no one is fighting for the cruz vote, the libertarian,

it's not the dominant electorate in new hampshire, but if he's the only guy going for it -- look, if cruz wins iowa, i think he will be second. we're looking at trump-cruz. i don't know how the establishment breaks through, if they don't take cruz down in iowa. >> chuck todd, thank you very much. in other news, the obama administration could announce today new visa requirements for some european travelers. federal officials want to make it harder for europeans who have fought for isis to enter the united states. the new rules would affect europeans who are dual nationals of iran, iraq, sudan or syria, who visited those countries in the last five years. on capitol hill, senate democrats blocked a bill that would crack down on syrian refugees coming to the country. the flint water crisis in michigan, rick snyder is asking president obama to reconsider

the federal aid. he says it's an imminent and long-term threat to residents there. $28 million be pay for more bottled bottled water, nurses and testing. the buffalo bills made history on wednesday, hiring the league's first full-time female assistant coach. catherine smith was named quality control special teams coached. previously served as an administration assistant to rex ryan during his days at the jets. ryan said smith has proven she's ready for the next step. back to the video we showed you, the california snowborder who could be facing criminal charges for his alleged role in triggering an avalanche last year. 29-year-old christian was wearing a body camera when he boarded down a steep run in northern california.

the video shows him buried under do the cascading snow. he was in an active avalanche area, closed to the public. they say he put himself, friends, ski patrol and skiing public at risk. >> good news is, you survived. bad news, you may have committed a criminal offense. >> you know why there are so many expletives on the tape. mr. roker, you're busy these days. >> in the pacific northwest, heavy rain, strong winds from the pacific northwest into california. look for an icy mix in the central part of the country. memphis may see a blizzard warning for them out of the storm. severe risk of strong storms

we'll get to your local >> that's your latest weather. savannah? >> al, thanks. just ahead, was it approved by vladimir putin? the bombshell report out this morning on the death of a former russian spy, poisoned with a cup

the navy seal who helped kill osama bin laden is under investigation. did he take an unauthorized souvenir from the raid?

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good morning. time now is 7-27. our first bout with snow is over, now

next round. meteorologist jeremy wheeler has the details. winter storm watch up for areas north and west of the metro area for tomorrow into saturday. today: mostly sunny. highs will be in the mid- upper 30s. winds nw 10-15mph. tonight: increasing clouds. lows will be in the upper 20s. winds north 5-10mph. friday: rain/snow mix in the late morning or midday. becoming all rain late in the day. heavy rain at times. highs will be in the low 40s. winds ene will be in the 30s. we'll see precipitation start up tomorrow. the models bring it in a little later in the day. so this will allow for more of a rain/snow mix in the region with snow north of the metro. this will turn into all rain in our area late friday into saturday. then a big area of low pressure will see the precipitation turn back into snow. we could see some light accumulations at that time, but only after a lot of melting from the rain before that

good morning, hampton roads. let's check

7:30 on a thursday. it's the 21st day of january, 2016. chilly morning here in new york city. lots of parts of the country, especially here in the east coast, getting ready for some nasty ready over the next couple days. >> good morning to you. >> on that happy note, let's look at the headlines. the weather is the story. up and down the east coast, people getting ready for the monster storm that's expected to hammer this region in the coming days. the nation's capital is in the cross hairs with up to two feet of snow expected there. last night, d.c. got a little taste of what's to come, a thin coating. it tripled traffic.

president obama's motorcade got caught up in the gridlock. the affluenza teen could return to texas. ethan couch has been fighting deportation from mexico, where he fled after missing a meeting with his parol officer. couch's u.s. attorneys say paperwork has been filed to end the ongoing immigration proceeding. oregon's governor calling on federal authorities to stop the ongoing siege by armed protesters at a wildlife refuge. the tense situation that began on january 2nd is causing fear among local residents and must end. let's start with explosive new allegations tied to the fatal poisoning of a former russian spy. nbc's chief global correspondent bill neely has the story. good morning. >> good morning, matt. vladimir putin, as we know, is a former spy himself, and a man with a grudge. that's according to a british judge, who accused him of probably approving the murder of

another former russian spy, a defector here in london. it's a report and allegation that threatens to sour relations even more between russia and the west. >> reporter: alexander lit litvinenko's tea has been poisoned by two russians he met at a hotel. today's report named the men as the likely killers, accused a russian state of ordering the hit, and accused russia's president. >> the operation to kill mr. litvinenko was probably approved by head of the fsb, and also by president putin. >> reporter: litvinenko was a former russian spy with explosive allegations about putin's links to the russian

he switched sides to work for british intel yensligence made enemies. two russians, the report says, were sent to london to kill him. they met litvinenko at this hotel and poured him tea, which he drank. it contained a radioactive liquid that likely came from a nuclear reactor in russia. he took three weeks to die. they left a trail of clues but again, today, denied they were the killers. litvinenko accused putin of ordering his murder. the kremlin denies involvement. his wife calls his killing an act of nuclear terrorism. britain wants the suspects extradited to face trial. putin already refused. one of the men is now a lawmaker. the killing may be involved. the culprits are still free. >> russia this morning called this report political and

rejected its conclusions. the british government said this was a state sponsored murder. this won't help the already strained relations between russia and the west over syria and other issues. but the murder case itself almost certainly ends here. with no one ever likely to face trial for litvinenko's death. >> bill on this bizarre story. thanks very much. now to two investigations connected to the killing of osama bin laden and one of the former navy seals who played a key role in the raid. stephanie gosk is here with the story. >> good morning. best-selling book, former navy seal matthew bissonnette claims he not only shot bin laden, but he also took pictures of the body. a new report alleges bissonnette kept one of the photos for himself. >> reporter: not long after the infamous raid that left osama bin laden dead, a top pentagon official ordered all photos of the body destroyed or turned

might be used as anti-u.s. propaganda. a new report says there might have been one photo still out there until recently. according to an article that sites who unnamed sources close to the probe, matthew bissonnette kept an image of bin laden's remains. >> the idea that there are no photos of bin laden running outside of government control is a silly notion. >> reporter: following the release of his best-selling account of the raid "no easy day," and this interview on "60 minutes," while in disguise, bissonnette was under investigation for revealing classified information. investigateors suspected he may have a photo on his hard drive and struck a deal, guaranteeing they wouldn't arrest bissonnette if he voluntarily turned it over. according to the article. >> what we don't know is whether this was a particular one of a close up of his head or body. we do know it was unauthorized.

>> reporter: that hard drive may have stirred up more trouble for the former seal. the report said information on the drive triggered a separate investigation, saying bissonnette may have been using his position as a navy seal to illegally steer business to his privately owned companies. >> though those businesses in theory were okayed by the command, it's not clear that the command had a full understanding of what he was doing on his side businesses. >> nbc news did not independently verify the details of the report, but bissonnette's lawyer did tell nbc the investigation into the alleged release of classified information ended last august. he would not comment on the existence of a photo. >> so many stories coming out of that raid. stephanie, thank you very much. let's turn to mr. roker for a check of the weather. >> we have weather to talk about as far as the west coast. they are seeing more el nino fueled storms coming in to the pacific northwest and northern

california. going to get hit hard over the next several days. today, another system stretching from seattle all the way into san francisco. heavy rain and costal gale. a lot of wind coming on in there. saturday morning you'll get a short break and the next system adds to the total. the snow in the sierra will increase, great news for the snow pack. four to five inches of snow. locally, could be six inches in the olympics.

the sierra, two >> the latest on the forecast including the storm head to the weather channel and weather.com, guys. coming up, not so funny. amy schumer under fire for allegedly stealing jokes. what she is saying about the controversy. coming up next, a spotlight

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remains a political force. someone with loyal follow toeers and an ability to fundraise. also, no shortage of drama. >> are you ready to make america great again? >> reporter: as sarah palin endorses donald trump, a personal problem surfaces in the shadow of her political life. her son track, an iraq war veteran, charged with misdemeanors after arrested on domestic violence charges. >> my son like others come back a bit different. they come back hardened. >> reporter: it's nothing new for palin, blending the personal and the political. palin resigned as alaska's governor, eventually signing on as a fox news commentator. >> they look at our president as one who wears mom jeans. >> reporter: me has books and started reality shows like "sarah palin's alaska" on tlc. >> pull. >> good shot.

conservative fire brand, funding like-minded candidates through her political action committee, and lending her voice to the tea party movement. >> these are the front lines in the battle for the future of our country. >> reporter: during the health care debate, palin coined the term, death panel, which was 2009's lie of the year. her reach is great, with millions of followers on facebook and twitter. >> hello and welcome to a new project. >> reporter: palin had to pull the plug on her online channel. >> next question, yes, tina? >> no, it's sarah palin. >> sorry. >> reporter: through it all, she still can't shake her "snl" doable doppelganger. >> looks like i went through time and space again. >> reporter: the timeline follows her family. in 2014, they attended a party that police say turned into a brawl. no one was arrested. >> what would he be doing pushing girls around though? >> reporter: her daughter, a

stars," called off her wedding last year, then gave birth to her second child last month. >> now, sarah palin is back in the spotlight. it's unclear how much she's going to stump for trump in the coming days. wednesday, she appeared at one rally in oklahoma with trump, but not at one in iowa. >> joe fryer, thank you very much. just ahead, a rare reunion for all four members of savannah's favorite group. >> abba. >> what they're saying about the chances of making music together again. >> you say abba, i say abba. next, newborn twins holding hands. carson has the photo. weight watchers has changed. weight watchers all-new beyond the scale program puts the focus on you and not just the number on the scale. lose weight while eating healthier, with all new smartpoints. and move more by including fitness in ways that work for you. see how good you'll feel

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we are back. 7:49. carson is in the orange room with a sweet moment, and it's going viral this morning. >> it is. these twins were born in australia earlier this month. they were born premature, under 29 weeks. they weighed about 2 pounds. they did require immediate medical attention. when their father was finally able to hold them for the first time, that bond was quite clear. take a look at this video here. see in the center, they're holding hands. heartwarming video. the twins latched on to each other. the couple shared this moment on their facebook page, and the video has been viewed 10 million times. their bond didn't break there. when mom held the babies, as well. they were still holding hands there. >> adorable. >> she hesitated to share the video at first because she was worried people might be disturbed, with the babies,

but she thought it might be helpful. she said, i googled like crazy looking for hope when we were told we might be premature. her story is touching many this morning and both babies are doing very, very well. >> you don't notice the breathing tubes. you just see the little hands. >> really cute. >> so tiny. >> thank you. coming up, is it the death of department stores? major retailers closing dozens of locations. some popular chains are trying to win back your business. on consumer confidential, the inside secrets of hotels. thousands of people came out today to run the race for retirement. so we asked them... are you completely prepared for retirement? okay, mostly prepared? could you save 1% more of your income? it doesn't sound like much, but saving an additional 1% now, could make a big difference over time.

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good morning hampton roads. time now is xx-xx. you won't find much evidence of last night's snow, but this next round will be much more substantial. meteorologist jeremy wheeler is tracking it, and what we'll expect today. winter storm watch up for areas north and west of the metro area for tomorrow into saturday. today: mostly sunny. highs will be in the mid- upper 30s. winds nw 10-15mph. tonight: increasing clouds. lows will be in the upper 20s. winds

north 5-10mph. friday: rain/snow mix in the late morning or midday. becoming all rain late in the day. heavy rain at times. highs will be in the low 40s. winds ene 5- 15mph. today we will see quiet weather. high pressure is in control. highs will be in the 30s. we'll see precipitation start up tomorrow. the models bring it in a little later in the day. so this will allow for more of a rain/snow mix in the region with snow north of the metro. this will turn into all rain in our area late friday into saturday. then a big area of low pressure will see the precipitation turn back good morning, hampton roads. let's check

it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, death of the department store. how some major retailers are shifting strategy to win back your business. hotel tell-all. an insider reveals secrets of the hotel industry. everything you need to know before you check in. viva j.lo. jenny is on the strip, and hoda is live in las vegas after her spectacular new show. >> it's a fantasy, to have a show in vegas. today, thursday, january

>> we came from alaska to see al. >> celebrating my sweet 16 at the today show. >> hello to friends and family. >> georgia. >> and alabama. >> good morning. >> mother-daughter trip from oklahoma. good morning, everybody. it's thursday, january 21st, 2016. nice day out on our plaza. this is the calm before the storm. the snow is coming to the east, and we're getting ready. we have everybody out on the plaza, present and accounted for. natalie, good job on the throwback thursday song. another win for natalie. blondie, "one way or another." >> finally. >> after that glee selection. >> i was the glee selection. coming up, as we said, we're going to check in with hoda, who was partying it up in las vegas. >> jennifer lopez.

>> she was auditioning to be a backup dancer. how did it go, hoda? >> oh, my gosh. it was like a dream. hurry up and get to the spot! it's so fun. >> did you go to sleep, hoda? >> i had an hour, and that's all you need. one hour. >> you wear it well, sister. we'll talk to you soon. also coming up on today's food, we're making lasagna the lighter and easier way, thanks to our slow cooker. >> that's the lighter way? sign me up. first, let's go to natalie for the top stories. we're talking about the east coast bracing for the massive snowstorm expected this weekend. the washington, d.c. area already dealing with an early taste of what's to come. dylan dreyer is there. good morning. >> good morning, natalie. yes, we are awaiting a potentially historic blizzard that will arrive this weekend. it's been 94 years since washington, d.c. has been hit by two feet of snow. are they ready? yesterday, we had 0.7 inches of

snow in washington, d.c. and it wasn't the most successful test run. cars were spinning out. hundreds of accidents were reported. even the president's motorcade was slipping and sliding along with everyone else. this morning, we are still dealing with the residual effects of that. cars are still stuck on the side of the road. there are backups more than five miles long into and out of the city. several school districts are closed this morning. it's a good thing this weekend storm arrives late friday and lasts through saturday. most folks will be home. they are preparing, clearing out the shelves, stocking up. we have thousands of tons of salt here, ready to go. new trucks on standby. we'll see how it plays out when the main event starts tomorrow. >> fingers crossed. dylan dreyer, thanks. al will have the complete forecast in a little bit. all eyes on the stock market today after another turbulent day. at one point on wednesday, the dow was down 550 points before

it closed with a drop of half that much. the dow is down about 9.5% this year. analysts blame falling oil prices and a cooling economy in china. republican donald trump is holding a rally today in las vegas after doubling down on all of his opponents. on wednesday, he called democrat bernie sanders a wacko and called ted cruz two-faced. sarah palin, speaking for trump, spoke about her son, accused of domestic violence. >> my son, like so many others, they come back a bit different. they come back hardened. it starts from the top. the question though, it comes from our own president, where they have to look at him and wonder, do you know what we go through? >> jfk's grandson is jumping into the debate, responding the ted cruz's claim that kennedy would be a republican today. jack kennedy called that absurd. among democrats, hillary clinton is crisscrossing iowa

today, hoping to fight off a surge by bernie sanders. she holds a slim lead in iowa polls and is hoping to prevent sanders from sweeping iowa and new hampshire. where sanders has a big lead in the polls. she criticized sanders, saying he wants to start over again on health care. the iowa caucuses take place in 11 days. two people are recovering after a frightening crash on wednesday when a fire truck smashed into a dairy queen northeast of dallas. the fire truck had been in a repair truck and was being driven back by a repair worker when it slammed into the building. one person inside the dairy queen was hurt, along with the driver. the world of high school basketball. take a look. the pass goes into the player under the basket. the ball hits and we see it, on the temple. yes, it's good for two points. probably not a shot you want to

try when playing a game. it can hurt the temple. >> didn't drill for the head shot, huh in. >> no. do you loathe a trip to the mall? >> yeah. >> sometimes. >> parking is an issue. >> with the rise of online shopping, we're witnessing the death of department stores as we know them. sheinelle jones has more on that story. good morning. >> good morning. since the start of 2016, a number of major retailers have announced plans to close hundreds of stores. experts say traditional department stores aren't about to go away entirely, but they are changing. >> reporter: this is the way more and more of us shop now. we click up more than $300 billion in sales every year, and that number is growing. for many shoppers, driving to the mall and fighting the crowds just isn't necessary anymore. >> i no longer find department store shopping satisfying. >> online shopping is the way of the future. >> reporter: two traditional

struggling with declining sales, the attitudes are chilling. >> the past 10 to 15 years, we've seen fewer department stores. >> reporter: macy's plans to close 40 stores this year. c. jcpenney closed the doors of 31 and plan on 7 more this year. >> we have to make it more productive. >> reporter: macy's plans to put some of the backstage discount stores in locations to compete with tj max. penney is hoping customers who buy their clothes will think about washing and drying them. >> department stores reinvented themselves multiple times and that's what we're seeing. >> reporter: critics on social media may not be easy to convince. >> it takes 47 seconds in a department store for me to remember why i don't often go to department stores. another, i still hate malls and

large department stores. #2 items took 2 hours. on cnbc, macy's ceao says, don't count out the big guys yet. >> has the death of the department store been exaggerated at this point? >> i sure do. grossly exaggerated. >> reporter: experts agree, traditional department stores are not going away. >> i think we will still have department stores, and i think they're going to get better over time. because as the millenials age, they're learning how to service that new demographic. >> it's no longer just about shopping. it's now about the experience. they're offering restaurants, fashion shows, concerts, even massages, things you can't get online. all designed to bring you and your money back into the store. >> we were reminisceing. what would junior high have been without the mall? >> my mom would drop me off, and i'd be there all day. >> getting ourselves in trouble at the arcade.

>> likestill like walking into a great department store. >> they're fighting back. how amy schumer is reacting to allegations she's stealing jokes from other comedians. plus, the force delayed? why you'll wait longer than you thought for the next "star wars" movie. on consumer account shlconfidential, what you need to know from booking a hotel room to the bedding in the room. first, these message resolve to turn heads roc retinol. it's up to two times stronger than imitators try roc retinol correxion night cream... after one week, fine lines appear to fade

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so we created the vaseline healing project a partnership with direct relief to help millions in need heal their skin. so they can go back to work. or school. and that ordinary jar can make an extraordinary difference. 8:12. we're back with what's trending today. this first story is a little bit more proof that pluto is the system. several years ago, it was >> right. scientists say they have evidence of a ninth planet at the edge of our solar system. no, it is not pluto. it's nicknamed planet nine. it's believed to be ten times bigger than earth.

get this, one orbit around the sun would take somewhere from 10,000 to 20,000 years. which is, as natalie pointed out, a wide span of time. you might want to narrow that down. on twitter, someone wrote, quote, breaking. pluto spotted driving slowly past planet nine's home, still unable to get over the past. >> bad sci-fi movie. >> exactly. >> i love it. people are posting pictures of the death star, calling that planet nine. hilarious. what is the strangest thing you buy? i'm going to suggest the "washington post" did a new article and said perhaps it is the q-tip. >> why? >> the article points out, the strange life of q-tips, it is the one thing that you buy where it clearly states that the thing you buy it for is prohibited. use it for makeup, household cleaning, but let's be honest, don't you use it to clean your

ears? >> it says, don't insert it in your ear canal. in other words, isn't that deep? >> isn't that what most of us do? that's where the wax is. >> the near part of the ear. >> then you use it to polish. >> i use it for arts and crafts all the time. >> do you use q-tips? >> yes. >> every day? >> i dive right in there. i know you're not supposed to, but i'm like, get in there. >> i'll modify my answer. i use it more after i get out of the shower to soak up the water with it, as opposed to diving in there. >> why not a towel? >> the terry cloth towel in your ear. >> i put it in like this. >> exactly. >> doesn't run into anything, so it's fine. have you ever had this happen to you? you feel your phone vibrating in your pocket, go to pick it up ask you realize it's not vibrating at all. >> yes. all the time. >> or you don't even have your phone in your pocket. if you felt that, you're not

alone. scientists call this -- there's a name -- phantom vibration syndrome. it happens because phones become so integrated in our lives. you can read more about this at today.com. yes, sometimes -- i thought it was like an electrical thing with my heart. i got nervous. is that a rhythm? >> do you have a heart? >> oh, man! >> first the brain, now the heart. >> he started it! >> new you. >> you're right. >> oh, not inserted in your ear canal. >> this is a tough room, man. >> i think for parents, i hear my -- i hear london crying sometimes but she's not at all. it's a phantom baby cry. >> sometimes savannah hears a wine bottle open. >> wishful thinks.

will dread hearing and why amy detecter test. fans have to wait longer for the next installment of "star wars" wars". episode episode episode viii will come out on december 15th of 2017. it'll set up an epic battle at the box office. "avatar 2" will be released the following week. this might be having to do with the script rewrite. many argue that episode vii has done so well in the holiday release, they want to push the next one to that window. >> everything was on schedule. >> what date, december of what? >> 2017. >> i have to see "star wars" i by then.

amy schumer is accused of stealing jokes from other comedians. she set the record straight with jim norton. >> i would never do that, and i never have. i'm literally going to take a polygraph test and put it on my show this season. i promise, whatever the results are, i won't let them cut. >> there you go. amy said this happens when you find success. people tend to try to tear you down. >> she's so funny. i can't imagine she stole it. >> i agree. rare reunion of a beloved band. abba hasn't been together in the same room in seven years. that changed wednesday night. all four members of the swedish pop group turned up to celebrate the opening of a dinner theater event called mama mema mia the party. they rejected pleas from fans to perform together. >> can't do that to me. >> abba.

>> abba. >> i used to say abba, but i don't know. carson is my guru on music and he went with abba. >> mr. roker? >> let's show you what's going on. again, we're talking about this monster storm. over 80 million people under some sort of winter weather advisory. stretches from arkansas to new york. we're going to be watching this. we, in fact, have a blizzard watch in effect for the washington area, up into baltimore. we also have one for the new york city area, as well. blizzard defined as a sustained winds of over 35 miles or greater for three hours or more. visibility less than 1/4 mile. boston to nashville into saturday night. harrisonburg, virginia, you'll see snowfall 24 inches plus. could be three feet. heaviest snow, friday through saturday. then we move to washington, d.c. this is the biggest city that will see the most amount of snow.

up to two feet of snow. snow begins friday during your afternoon rush hour. city of brotherly love, we're looking for philadelphia seeing snow late friday through early sunday morning. 10 to 16 inches of snow. new york city and new jersey, all going to be looking, basically, at about five to eight inches of snow. with wind gusts of 50 miles per hour, plus costal flooding along the jersey shoreline. boston, you deserve a break and you get one.

but you'll have strong winds >> top three snowstorms for washington, d.c. january 27th, in 1922, 28 inches of snow. we will come very, very close to that, guys. back to you. >> al, thanks so much. consumer confidential series this morning. with an inside look at hotels. >> jacob is the man who is the author of "heads and beds." good morning to you. >> good morning. >> separate rooms, please. >> no problem. >> separate floors, if you can. >> ends of the hotel. >> what are some of the weirdest things you've seen in the industry? >> takes a lot to explain it. everything happens in hotels. newlyweds, recent divorcees, death, kids running around, celebrities. >> perhaps because of the weird

things people do in rooms, a study found there is a lot of bacteria, germs in hotels. >> absolutely. >> even four and five-star hotels. >> certainly. >> what are the dirtiest places? >> one of the things i point out immediately is the remote control. they're difficult to clean. you can't spray it. it's difficult to clean, those things. one thing i'd recommend, usually there is a shower cap. you can wrap it in that. be a little safer. avoid the drinking glasses. if it's wrapped in plastic, it's fine. if it's one of the solid glasses, housekeepers don't have the tools to clean it so they use what is available, shampoo or sometimes furniture polish. it takes the spots off. >> we're checking out. >> bye. peace out. >> please, stay. >> my wife gets to a hotel, she grabs the bedspread and takes it off and puts it in the corner of the room. smart? >> absolutely. weird pillows.

it goes on the floor and housekeeping picks it up. >> you know it's a fancy hotel when you're in the bathroom and a triangle. >> watch out. that's usually one of the last things the housekeeper does before they leave the room. paper. it's been touched, compromised. get rid of that. >> if it looks like it's been arranged, pull that out and throw it away. start fresh. >> speaking of the bathroom, they have the lovely products in there. >> do you steal them? >> am i supposed to steal them? >> absolutely. these are for you. it's a memory. you remember your stay, use them later. there's a lot of things you can get at hotels people don't know. slippers. if they don't put it in the room, the shoe shine kits. >> people try to steal it though, right? >> it's for the guests. >> what if you are walking down the hall and see the cart with the stuff and load it in your bag?

you're ruining her supply. just call and ask for what you want and they'll bring it up. >> does the way i book my room impact the way i'll be treated by the hotel? >> absolutely. almost everything does. i book third party, like a lot of people, you save. if you book at the hotel, they'll take more priority with your suite. call two or three days before, speak to the front desk and say, i booked my reservation. is my room ready? now there's a connection between two human beings. when you're checking in, it's a sometimes. >> you feel like the front desk city. be nice to him or her, and your stay could change for the better. tip them or what? >> just courteous is good. >> tip good, too? >> yeah. we check in 250 people a day. this is for you, whatever you can do for me, i appreciate it. it's an underrated job.

they know every room in the hotel. maybe we're not upgrading you but i can give you a late checkup. >> the housekeeper, you say it's appropriate to tip the housekeeper. how much? >> i usually do $5 a night or $20 for the stay. it's a difficult job, as a housekeeping manager. you never see them. it's a magic trip. you always put it in a envelope. there are a lot of people that come in and out of the room and, sadly, the money doesn't always go to them. put it in an envelope, write housekeeping on it, and even bring it to the front desk. >> how not to get the cancellation fee if you call. >> not if it's prepaid but if it is a regular reservation, say i want to move the reservation until next week. call the next day to cancel and you're within the bounds. >> sneaky. >> thank you very much. >> freesht itappreciate it. jennifer lopez kicks off her

the backstage pass.

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good morning hampton roads. time now is xx-xx. breaking news - governor terry mcauliffe just declared a state of emergency in virginia because of the impending snow. now to let's go to meteorologist jeremy wheeler with more on the storm and today's forecast. winter storm watch up for areas north and west of the metro area for

tomorrow into saturday. today: mostly sunny. highs will be in the mid- upper 30s. winds nw 10-15mph. tonight: increasing clouds. lows will be in the upper 20s. winds north 5-10mph. friday: rain/snow mix in the late morning or midday. becoming all rain late in the day. heavy rain at times. highs will be in the low 40s. winds ene 5- 15mph. today we will see quiet weather. high pressure is in control. highs will be in the 30s. we'll see precipitation start up tomorrow. the models bring it in a little later in the day. so this will allow for more of a rain/snow mix in the on the back side we could see the precipitation turn back into snow. however, dry time, but only after a lot of melting from the d.c. we'll dry out on for updates to this developing weather situation. good morning, hampton roads. let's check

back now, 8:30 on this thursday morning. it's the 21st day of january, 2016. say hi to some of the people who have come on down to rockefeller plaza on a chilly morning. actually, not too bad. not a lot of wind, blue sky. welcome back, everybody. >> hear a little j.lo?

>> she had a big night in las vegas last night. her show -- hoda is lucky -- she went behind the scenes. saw how it came together and did some numbers with hoda's backup dancers. hoda thinks it's her dancers. we'll help you find the beauty underneath it all. the fashions you wear beneath your clothes, including what is a one size fits off bra. >> i'm wearing one right now. it's fantastic. on our today food week, we're cooking up a classic. a luscious and lazy lasagna. first, let's get a check of the weather. >> let's look at your weekend outlook. tomorrow, we've got a mess in the southeast. mid-atlantic states, snow, ice, heavy thunderstorms in florida. sunshine, middle of the country. saturday, the storm system makes its way up the mid-atlantic and to the northeast and expands in

the northwest and the rockies. coast. sunday, the system is out in the east. we have sunshine for the eastern two thirds of the country. look for snow in the plains down to the rockies. more wet weather moves into the >> that's your latest weather. when you need your weather, go to the weather channel on cable and weather.com online. we have these kids from tuscan, arizona.

what school are you from? >> junior high. >> did you wear the hats in tuscan or the trips? >> trip. >> going home tomorrow? >> beat the snowstorm. >> let's head back inside to everybody. >> yay, tuscan. >> al, thanks very much. huge event in las vegas. >> jennifer lopez premiered her show on the strip last night. hoda was on the red carpet. got to meet the stars turning out. hoda, was it the night of your life? >> oh, my gosh, you guys, it was so much fun. i'm losing my voice. i slept for an hour. all i can think of is -- i'm still, i'm still jenny from the block you know her from "american idol" and "shades of blue." somehow, she managed to find time to channel old hollywood and bring new life to her it was a spectacular night. guess what?

the scenes look. >> reporter: viva miss lopez. to the stock. don't stop, keep it moving >> reporter: all bets on j.lo as the pop star tries her luck in las vegas. with her first residency show called "all i have." a 90 minute, high-energy sceptical, sizzling on stage and planet hollywood's theater. jennifer says she spent her entire life waiting for tonight. >> it's like a fantasy, to have a show in vegas. you know, the name of the show is "all i have." people know about me. >> reporter: the show is packed with an intimate display of masterful set design, along with dazzling costumes and electrifying choreography. on opening night, a surprise appearance by mr. worldwide

crowd. >> got flowers. i want to leave her a note. >> reporter: hours before the show, a much quieter scene, when jennifer granted us an all access backstage pass. >> check it out. look right here. matt lauer. i'm still jenny from the block used to have a little, now i have a lot i know where i came from >> j.lo's dressing room, i heard a rumor, is that one there. let me touch everything because she's been in here. i'm still jenny from the block >> reporter: you never know who you'll run into backstage. enter j.lo's vocal coach. la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la >> reporter: it could be worse, right? the answer is yes. they want me to learn the moves, too. how hard could it be?

after all, i have experience. >> get over here. bring it back. dance the night away >> reporter: time to get on the floor. a quick lesson before giving it all i have on center stage. la, la, la, la tonight we gonna be hit on the floor >> reporter: not bad, but i guess what happens in vegas will have to stay in vegas. i think i'll leave this to the pros. the 46-year-old age-defiying beauty, perhaps finding the fountain of youth by balancing her personal life with a career that shows no signs of slowing down. >> when the confetti was falling, the end of the show, what were you feeling inside? >> so good. amazing. i feel like i've been doing an hour and a half of cardio.

it's a great moment. >> it was a great moment. by the way, jennifer is going to perform 40 shows a year for the next three years. get your tickets because i have a feeling they're going to sell back. >> i'm coming back. >> we're doing the 10:00 show from here. i'll show you one picture that was weird from last night. kelly osborne was there and rebel wilson and justin bieber. look at the photo. >> somebody else. >> look at the photo bomb. >> i see you. >> wait, you guys. i can do one better. this is a little taste of what jenna and i have coming up in our show. >> nice. >> you lost a tooth in vegas? >> that's great. >> remember the "hangover"? >> the tattoo. >> lucky, i went to an emergency dental appointment, but everything is fine. there was a moment of panic. >> where's the tiger? in the bathroom. >> you'll see. don't you worry.

>> i love the dance moves, hoda. >> yeah. >> inside, i felt like j.lo. >> if j.lo needs the night off, they're lucky to have you. >> you add the enthusiasm, hoda. >> it was a blast. >> can you do that? >> i've forgotten it now. it's gone away. >> we'll see you in a little bit. >> all right. bye, guys. up next, investing the right way. how to put your hard earned

first, we're back at 8:40 with more start today's solutions, to help you achieve your goals in 2016. last week, today financial less. this morning, it's all about investing for tomorrow. we're taking the money we're saving. >> that's right. >> by spending less and

before we go any further, does anything you're going to recommend today get impacted by what's been happening on the markets over the last two weeks? >> absolutely not. >> no? >> this is your long-term investment strategy. long-term, not short-term. we'll talk about the difference. >> let's talk about 401(k)s. most people sign on to their company plan. >> other way. >> there you go. sign on to their company plan. if your employer doesn't offer a company plan, what do you do? >> if your employer doesn't offer it -- we like 401(k)s because they have watching dollars. but iras are available to everybody. or the new myra. it's a starter roth ira. you can put up to $15,000 into it. no minimums, no fees. you're not going to lose money because the money is in treasury. >> how do you figure out what money should go into savings and what money should be invested? >> any money you're going to need in the next three years to live on in retirement that's not covered by social security, to

pay for college tuition, does not belong in the market. it never did. >> let's say i want to rebalance. maybe i have too much in the market and i should be saving more. given what's happening in the markets, should i sell some stocks now, even if i'm going to take a loss? >> yeah. if you need that money in the next three years, you want to get it out of there. things could get worse before they get better. you don't want to put your living expenses, the money you need, at risk. >> what's the best way to do thealthe al theal allocation? >> it should get less riskier as you're older or closer to your goal. if we're talking about retirement, take 100, subtract your age, that's act the percentage you should have in stocks. you want to rebalance that every year. >> you look at this and you make it look real simple, with these graphics. but it can feel complicated for a lot of people. how do you get help? if i don't have you sitting across from me, how do i get help?

>> so many solutions to help you. you can basically put your money in a target date retirement day fund. every 401(k) and ira has one. it will keep you focused on the retirement date. a managed account is another option retirement accounts have these days. you're paying somebody to do the managing for you. people who have these save more. robo advisers is new. it's a computerized solution. >> do you like these? >> they put together your portfolio. i like them. a lot of millenials love them. they're less expensive than hiring a financial adviser on your own. >> when people are going to start making investments, they're going to find there are fees involved with those investments. how do you keep the fee down, so it's your money not going to someone else? >> in a general way, there's a difference between a passive investment and an active investment. a passive investment is an index

where a computer is tracking an index. it's less expensive than paying a fund mass jer to donager to do it for you. passive investments beat ak ty in -- active investments consistently because the fees are lower. any money not going to fees goes to your pocket. >> that's what you want. >> and you want to save, save, save. >> 15% of everything you earn. hard for a lot of people but it's your target. >> it's your target. if you're not there, ratchet it up by 1% or 2% a year. >> thank you very much. as always, more start today's strategies on our website. today.com. up next, beauty underneath. how to make your clothes fit and

first, t we're back. it's 8:46. we'll help you find the beauty

the latest bras, underwear and robes. we have a beauty and lifestyle expert with us. a whole segment about unmentionables. >> yes. >> how do you care for you bra? i throw mine into the washing machine. is that a no-no? >> it is. especially if it's made from a delicate material like lace. hand wash with a mild detergent and let it hang dry, air dry. don't put it in the washing machine. >> we'll talk about the trends in bra. the first is getting rid of the back bulge and the side fat. how do you do that? >> there are bras that combat back bulge and side fat. one is from playtex. if you look at the side, they have panelling. it's from the inside. this panelling is really going to help, again, to smooth out the underarm area and to smooth out your back so your clothes fit nicely. >> you don't want it to tight, your skin is hanging over it. what about this one? >> no side effects, so there's

an elastic band. it gets rid of under armpit bulge. it helps you not feel paranoid. >> this next bra is a one size fits off, which we're going to demonstrate in a minute. anybody can wear this? >> yes. it's one size fits most. 32a to 36d can wear this. it's seamless, no clasps. we have models demonstrating. >> we do. on the right, we have an a. on the left, we have a d. they're wearing the exact same bra over in the orange room. >> isn't that fabulous? >> it is. i notice carson is in the orange room, too. >> he has a good view. >> yeah. >> models, thank you so much. what about this one over here? >> this is from gap. this has moisture wicked properties, meaning it'll keep you cool and dry if you sweat. it's great for the active girl who is on the go. >> let us talk about underwear. this sh a

this, apparently, is all the rage. the brand is called commando. >> it almost feels like you're going commando. look at the lace. it's airy, breathable, sexy. what's wonderful is it gives you good coverage but a little bit of glamour, too. >> spanx has a version of this. >> it gets rid of muffin tops and makes you look more slender. >> is it all the same? >> what's fun is you're not getting the visible panty lines, which is a no-no. >> out here, we have the shaper outside the brief. how does this work? >> this is basically a thong, but it has median compression shape wear built in. if you want your waist to look smooth, or your tummy to look more flat, this is the thong for you. >> okay. over here, you call this the woman on the go panty. >> yes. >> i don't know what that means. >> not that kind of on the go.

this is made for moisture wicking. it's for people who are athletic, keeping you nice and dry. it has a built-in panty liner, which you know what it helps you. it keeps you dry in the active moments, as well. >> men in the control room having a heart attack right now. let's talk about robes. >> these are my favorite robes at the moment. the one i'm wearing is from eberjey. it's soft. >> very light, too, in case you get hot when you're blow drying your hair. >> yours is from splendid. >> cozy, perfect for the cold, winter mornings and nights. mine, i think, is versatile and perfect for day time and nighttime. >> looks good with your outfit now. you can wear that as a cardigan. if you want to check out more options, go to today.com/style. coming up next, we're calling it lazy lasagna. how to use your slow cooker to

first, this is we're back at 8:52 with more of our slow cooker week on "today food." knew nutritionist wendy is here. >> good to be with you. >> we're making it lasagna in a slow cooker. we're using a traditional recipe or something different? >> it's classic and traditional. very familiar. i call it lazy lasagna.

mostly because it's easy. but it's significantly lighter. >> how do you get some of the calories out? >> well, we use classic ingredients. we have all our classics. we have the noodles, the cheese, the sauce. then we add layers with the nutrient rich veggies and lighten it up. >> get me started. by the way, we have our tasters downstairs. who i think have been lining up for 40 minutes to get their say on this one. >> very good. >> how is it going? >> delicious. >> right on. >> wendy, let's go. >> this recipe is upwards of 50% less calories than a traditional lasagna. you'll make a tomato mixture and cheese mixture. >> canned totomatoes? >> yes. you can save time by using a tomato sauce, as well. you can add the garlic. >> into the tomatoes? >> yes.

thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. if you remember your science classes, we learned about enzymes and substraits. if you chop the garlic and let it sit at room temperature, it boosts the nutrient levels and the heart healthy properties. >> i mix this around. that's done. >> you can make that in advance. here's the this is ricotta, a lighter cheese, and has protein. we had parmesan, parsley and pepper. this is very cheesy. it's lighter but we're not going to miss anything here. then we use our noodles, which are traditional la sanaasagna noodles. >> don't cook them first. >> it's last century, to cook our noodles. >> thanks for that. >> we'll be building the slow cooker recipe from there.

i butter the dish at the bottom so it doesn't -- it's a little bit so it doesn't stick. >> perfect. >> then we add a little of the sauce there. bring that over. >> you can put it? >> little bit of the sauce. we're going to start the layering. the layers, there's 11 layers plus the sauce. >> guys, how is it tasting? >> good. >> enjoying it? >> yes! >> wonderful. then we add spinach. you use raw spinach. you can use frozen if you want. >> great. >> easy. let's add one single layer of noodles. >> cross ways? >> yeah. you can break it to fit. one layer of noodles. if you make the -- here's the cheese mixture we made with thth parmesan parmesan, pepper and rah cot teekot ricotta. >> pastry bag. >> we use half of it, pipe it along. >> that simple. back to the sauce now? >> back to the sauce. then we add some other layers here. little more sauce. >> go ahead. >> then finish it off here.

>> great. let's swing over here and look at what it looks like after. how long does it cook? >> it cooks on high for two and a half hours or low for four hours. you keep building the lawyers. you get the savory yumaumami from the mushrooms and the protein. >> what should i do? >> hold this and i'll dump what is left. >> let's look at what it looks like when it's done.

the guys downstairs are good morning, hampton roads. let's check

winter storm watch up for areas north and west of upper 30s. winds nw 10-15mph. tonight: increasing clouds. lows will be in the upper 20s. winds north 5-10mph. friday: rain/snow mix in the late morning or midday. becoming all rain late in the day. see quiet weather. high pressure is in control. highs will be in the 30s. later in the day. so this will allow for more of a area late friday into on the back side we could see the precipitation turn back into snow. join us for our next newscast that starts at noon. you can also gets updates on all your local

time---o this morning on "today's take," aubrey plaza is here to dish on seducing her "dirty grandpa" co-star robert addyde niro. "hamilton," the hottest sensation in town. consumer confidential. what to know before you buy or sell a home. all that and more coming up now. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today's take," with al roker, natalie morales, willie geist and tamron hall, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> you asked for the mudsic to get pumped and it got pumped. thursday morning, january 21st, 2016.

i'm willie with natalie, tamron and al. >> santigold is from philadelphia. the critics are all about her. i love this song, "chasing shadows." she's 39 years old and bursting on to the scene. >> been chasing shadows for a while. >> she has been. she's huge. it's a good jam, and i thought it sounded caribbean, too, krrg considering what we're facing. >> we have snow coming, al. d.c., in particular, bracing for a potentially historic storm. could bring up two feet of snow. up to 50 mile an hour winds. let's just say, i'm a little worried about our friends in washington, based on the performance last night. there was one inch of snow and everybody was thrown for a loop. president obama's motorcade was stuck in the traffic, slipping and sliding along. people are, call it what it is, panicked. >> people go to buy stuff like

stripping the shelves of bottled water. >> right. >> shovels. i mean, just crazy. here's the deal, yes, it's going to snow. >> it's not the end of the world. give a perspective. >> you are not going to be trapped in your home for weeks. >> they haven't had a snowfall like this in 90 years. >> they have not -- the last time they had snowfall of more than 20 inches in one day was in 1922. >> what was this? >> this was an inch of snow. it was a clipper. >> but what's coming could be -- >> what we saw last night -- >> historically, washington cannot handle snow. i worked there in 1976. my first winter there, the forecast was for three inches of snow. i didn't go -- i didn't tell the newsroom. the news director chewed me out. he goes, this is armageddon. this place will lose their minds. i was like, these are flurries. i came from syracuse, new york, to washington, d.c. i was like, what the heck? it got worse. >> perspective last night?

>> last night was an inch of snow but they didn't pretreat the roads. boom, it became an ice rink out there. that was the mess. right now, 80 million people are under some form of weather -- winter weather advisory. from winter storm watches and warnings to here in washington, d.c. d.c., fredericksburg up to baltimore, blizzard watch. same for new york city out to long island. a blizzard is designed as having three hours or more, sustained winds of 35 miles per hour or greater. drops your visibility to 1/4 mile. friday evening, snow for memphis to d.c. severe threat, we could have tornadoes down in florida. this system early saturday morning, off the coast of carolinas, snow from nashville to washington, d.c. up the coast, it strengthens. heavy snow from philadelphia, baltimore, washington, up into new york city.

then we get along the coast, and we've got this major problem. wind gusts of 60 miles per hour. costal flooding. plus, an astronomical high tide on saturday. it'll add to the flooding. we're looking for one to three inches from nashville, south of boston. here is the money. this is where the big stuff is going to be happening. harrisonburg, virginia, 24 inches or more. washington could see that. the heaviest snow will be friday afternoon through saturday. now, we move to washington, d.c. and parts of maryland. look at this, we're talking about 18 to 24 inches of snow. blizzard watch through saturday. snow will begin after rush hour tomorrow. we move up into the delmarva peninsula. a good part of southern and central new jersey, including philadelphia. snow friday late through sunday morning. heavy, wet snow.

we could be looking at power outages. 10 to 16 inches. here in new york city, new jersey, long island, we're talking about 5 to 8 inches but wind gusts of 50 miles per hour and costal flooding. finally, boston, you deserve a break after last winter. zero to two inches saturday afternoon to sunday. costal flooding will be an issue. that'll be the big problem. not only will we be seeing -- the only thing we have to talk about, it's going to be a heavy, dense snow. it's going to put stress on roofs, on all sorts of things, power lines. folks shoveling who aren't used to doing this, it puts the most strain on your heart of any exercise. you have to be very, very careful. >> that's a good wrap up. it's a storm we'll be keeping an eye on. this picture out of ontario, canada. an 80-year-old man was ticketed for driving his car, believe it or not, because it was covered in snow. police said -- >> didn't finish the windshield. >> the 80-year-old man said he

was too old and weak to brush off the snow. he couldn't do it. he got out the part of the windshield he could see and drive far enough. >> where are the good samaritans, to help the elderly gentleman out? >> didn't the policeman have a heart? let me help you. >> absolutely. >> ticket served? come on. >> canada. >> canadians are supposed to be nice. most are. >> i thought maybe someone -- i thought maybe they did offer and he didn't accept it. >> we don't know. >> we love our friends to the norm. >> and we love our canadian law enforcement. just that one guy needed to show compassion. >> exactly. >> good reminder, if you see an elderly person who is shoveling, help them out. >> like me. >> yes! like al. >> shoveling. >> help him. >> by the way, before we get on it, this headline, i just --

>> oh, i know. that's the "post" for you. >> the new york tap loidsbloids have >> they have been. >> a lot of material. >> this picture, get ready for your heart to melt. maybe the snow, too. if we showed you this yesterday, it would have melted the inch of snow they got. holding hands while cuddling their dad and mom. jackson gave birth to these two darlings in australia. she gave birth earlier this month. christian and christiane were born at 29 weeks. they weighed two pounds. the couple shares this sweet moment on their facebook page. the video has been viewed 10 million times and counting. >> wasn't just the dad. you see them holding hands there. when the mother held them, as

well, the babies were clasping hands, too. just so sweet. little brother holding on to little sister's hand. >> so cute. >> two of them are going to be lives. it starts right there. >> so cool. >> the mom said she posted that and was reluctant at first. but knowing that they were having premies. but by putting this out, it would help somebody else, another couple going through this, as well. >> so true. you need the hope. >> around the world, the advancements they've made in premie care is actually stunning. there's several great hospitals here in the united states. but that's the remarkable part. you think about it, two pound baby can now thrive in this way. that is an inspiration. >> they're doing well, by the way. >> that's right. >> beautiful video. another nice video. french tennis player winning over the crowd when he interrupted his match to help a ball girl in distress. may have been hit by a ball. he went to retrieve a ball when

>> she got hit in the face. >> he helped her, arm in arm, get off the court. good for him. >> can you come by? this is a touching moment. come here. she says to me, doesn't hurt that he's a hottie. >> is that what this was about? >> show your face. >> so sweet, the girl was hurt, but he's a hottie. >> kate is australian. >> there you go. works out well. >> we saw humanity and you saw hottie. >> you're blushing. >> bright red. >> al?

you're mesmerized by natalie's >> that is your latest weather. >> al, thank you very much. up next, the actress who is putting the dirty in "dirty grandpa grandpa." the hilarious aubrey plaza tells us about seducing de niro's character in the movie, and what she's doing with the cool cane. that'll be next. soup and sandwich and somewhere to go, and clean and real and nowhere to be, and warmth and looking good, and sandwich and soup and inside jokes, and dan is back! good, clean food pairs well with anything. the clean pairings menu.

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so we can all sleep easier tonight. our next item is a genuine "name your price" tool. this highly sought-after device from progressive can be yours for... twenty grand? -no! we are giving it away for just 3 easy payments of $4.99 plus tax! the lines are blowing up! we've got deborah from poughkeepsie. flo: yeah, no, it's flo. you guys realize anyone can use the "name your price" tool for free on progressive.com, right? [ laughing nervously ] [ pickles whines ] i know, it's like they're always on television. what? aubrey plaza spent seven years in indiana playing april, alongside amy poehler and company, on nbc's fantastic show "parks and recreation." >> now, she's hitting the big screen with zac efron and trying to seduce robert de niro in

>> you're a hard man to track down, professor. >> are those my pants? >> yeah, these are your pants. i found a werther's original in the pocket and have been sucking on it all morning. >> you know i'm not a professor, right? >> yeah, i know. you're just a dirty, dirty grandpa. >> i like when you said it again. >> say it one more time. >> you're just a dirty, dirty grandpa. i like to be in movies where you say the title. i improvised that. >> do you get royals for that? >> the werther's part. >> hilarious. you had some of the best lines. can we deal with the injury you sustained not during the shooting of the film but on a basketball court? what happened? >> i tore my acl. i have been hobbling around, using a cane. i had surgery on my knee. >> you were part of this basketball league. your team, the pistol shrimps. >> that's right. >> love the name.

>> thank you. i'm on the pistol shrimps. we play in l.a. it's a women's recreational league, i guess, you'd call it. >> what position? >> i'm point guard, was point guard. i've been told my basketball career is over. >> no, no, no. >> no, it's not. i'm going to get back out there. >> all right. >> somebody was coming at you because you're the star of the team? >> people are always coming at me, man. i have to watch my back. >> the point guard, you take it. >> yeah. >> we have to talk about this movie. first of all, de niro in this role, i don't think most of us have seen de niro this way, but your relationship with him, explain a little bit. we got a little taste, what you're doing to de niro in the movie. >> my character is on spring break, and she has this thing where she wants to sleep with her professor. de niro lies, saying he's a

have sex with her or anyone. there's this game between them, where they're kind of coming at each other the whole movie. >> trying to seduce robert de niro, intimidating? >> yeah. >> what's the hardest part? >> when you put it that way. in character, no. in real life, yeah, it was so intimidating. working with him. i couldn't believe it. i tried to pretend that he wasn't robert de niro. >> every woman wants to know, is he a good kisser? >> great kisser. the best i ever had. >> great. >> no, he's great. he was awesome. he was so cool, and he was so down to just do whatever. he has no -- i mean, obviously, he's like an icon. >> yeah. >> just down to do everything. he was not scared and not shy.

know, by the way, that you were a page here at nbc many moons ago ago. >> that's right. >> look at you know. awesome. >> check it out. making out with de niro. whoo! >> you work with zac efron in this movie and you're with him in another movie. >> i'm riding the efron train to the top. there's no getting off for me. >> that's a t-shirt. >> zac should make his own. >> thanks so much, aubrey. >> thank you. >> "dirty grandpa" is in theaters tomorrow.

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that'll be the highlight of your day. now preview the cost of your copay before you fill. you can even get one-dollar copays on select plans. actor, writer, producer, wentworth miller is probably best known as the good guy, a man who deliberately got himself put in jail to save his brother, on the hit show "prison break." >> now, he's together with his "prison break" co-star in the new show, d.c.'s "legends of tomorrow." wentworth plays captain cold, a criminal who has been recruited to help save the world. but he has ulterior motives for taking the job. >> what about the years before? for fingerprints and surveillance cameras and dna

>> because we hate working and we love money. >> we can steal the mona lisa, snatched the hope diamond before it was discovered. this is everything we got into thieving for in the first place. >> wentworth, good morning. >> i love it because you were originally on "the flash ch" and played a villain. they moved your character. >> right. >> give us the premise. you gathered a group of folks together. >> the basic idea, we have superheros and villains teaming up to take on a supervillain. >> how do they play together? do they play well together, the good guys and the bad guys? >> no. we're constantly butting heads that makes great tv. as an audience member, i don't want to tune into people getting along beautifully. this is the opposite of that. >> so cool. we told you al is our comic book expert. he can name pretty much every major.

did you have a favorite growing up? >> i wasn't allowed to read comic books. i was supposed to be concentrating on my studies. >> wow. >> this is new for me. >> al also concentrating on studies. >> parents couldn't enforce it. >> there's a lot of action in this show. >> yeah. >> is that something you like? >> absolutely. i think of the arrow and the flash in "legends of tomorrow," it's all part of the same universe. we're meant to be the most comic book show out there. it's a lot of fun. lot of action adventure, sci-fi, special effects. it's a treat. but it's also for the family. essentially, at its heart, it's a family show. >> well, another show that a lot of people are looking forward to, once again, "prison break" is coming back. what's it like to get that going again? >> thank you. i think a lot of the fans are excited to see where the characters are now. especially mine, since i died twice at the end of the original. >> how did that work out for you?

i'm curious, too. >> did you feel like when you wrapped it, that this was it, it was over, or did you suspect you might revisit the character? >> i never imagined we'd be coming back to revisit the characters. it is a treat and privilege. >> it's interesting, the fandom behind the two shows. you're in two projects where the fans will chase you down the street, and on twitter, excited. how do you balance the attention with the projects? >> it's nice to have work back to back. i certainly can't complain. it's nice to be employed. but i'm also working with dominique percell from "prison break," and he's on "legends on tomorrow." it provides a touchstone. >> it's throwback thursday. we've decided we wanted to show a clip from your first role. >> oh, geez.

>> buckle up. >> okay. i guess they're turning you into fish monster? >> hmm. >> that was riveting. >> great acting. >> thank you. bleeding gums? you may think it's a result of brushing too hard. it's not. it's a sign of early gum disease which you can help reverse by using listerine added to your brushing routine listerine kills up to 99.9% of germs and helps reverse early gum disease in just two weeks. listerine power to your mouth also try listerine floss. it's advanced technology removes more plaque. there's a voice of a daredevil in all of us. that urges us to shake things up, to turn up the heat, and take bigger risks. why should damaged hair silence that voice? new dove regenerative nourishment

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taking a look at the headlines. in advance of the winter storm, the airlines are getting ready. some big carriers, including american, delta, jet blue and united are waiving fees for passengers who want to change their travel plans. the airlines are telling travelers to check the website for updates and schedule changes. new research finds that a lot of restaurant meals may be hazardous to your waistline. a study found more than 90% of meals at big and small restaurants exceed the recommended calories for a single meal. some of the meals exceed the recommended calories for an entire day. it found the highest calorie counts are in american, chinese and italian meals.

the cdc says more of us are living longer. a number of americans, at least 100 years old, jumped by more than 43% from 2000 to 2014. women make up 80% of that group. among those, more than 100 death rates declined from flu, that moan -- that moan yum, but increased because of the blood pressure and heart disease. buffalo bills made history, hiring the nfl's first full-time assistant coach. catherine smith was named quality control coach. she previously served with ryan. rex ryan said she's ready for the next step. excited for her. let's get a check of the weather from al. >> update on the story we told you about, the elderly man ticketed for not clearing his car. they ticket id hmmed him, but the police officer who knows the man cleared off the rest of his windshield. of course, i still think he

could have not given the ticket, but it's another story. anyway, let's look at your weekend outlook. friday, the blizzard making its way up the mid-atlantic coast. plus, we have severe weather in florida. heavy rain, wind moving in from the pacific northwest into central california. including san francisco. saturday, blizzard makes its way up to the mid-atlantic and starts to affect the northeast. in between, plenty of sunshine. seasonable weather. rain, wipdnd and snow across the cascades. sunday, sunday, the storm is out. we've got clear skies for the eastern half of the country. another system making its way from the west to the east will bring snow from the northern

>> that is your latest weather. >> al, thank you. now to the broadway show that has people around the world offering their first born children for a pair of tickets. "hamilton," an american musical, is a revolutionary show and a phenomenon phenomenon. >> it is mixing history with hip hop. the show is a brain child of miranda, who plays hamilton. we'll talk to one of the stars in a moment. first, the hottest ticket in town. >> reporter: the hottest ticket in town, "hamilton," an american musical, puts a modern spin on history. it tells the life story of alexander hamilton, face of the

treasury, all through hip hop. tony award winning composure miranda wrote the musical which took years to complete. at the poetry jam in 2009, he gave a first look at what would become the broadway sensation. the world is gonna know your name what's your name, man, alexander hamilton >> reporter: the next stop was an off broadway production at the public theater in february 2015. from the start, its popular skyrocketed, leading the musical to find a new and bigger home on broadway. the coveted tickets are sold out months in advance, leaving thousands of fans to flock to the box office each day. some have been lucky enough to experience the ground-breaking musical firsthand. as the curtain opens each night to sold out crowds, proves the "hamilton" phenomenon is only

>> with us now, chris jackson, who plays george washington in "hamilton." can we fawn over you and "hamilton" more? phenomenal. revolutionary is an understatement. how did you describe it before the phenomenon? >> it was difficult to come up with the words. it's like, alexander hamilton, treasury secretary, don't you know all this happened? we're deep into the story, you know. reading the books. they're like, who are you playing? george washington. the look on people's faces, like what? >> a rapping george washington. >> we're good, trust me. yeah, it's been surreal. it's a difficult thing to explain. it's easier now that the soundtrack is out and people are playing it. >> you obviously never, ever, in your wildest dreams, could have imagined what this was going to turn in into in such a short time. you deserve all the praise you're getting. but can you talk a little bit

history so accessible to people who, maybe they're not students of history, maybe they didn't know much about alexander hamilton. when you sit there two and a half hours, it's your an tray,entree, at least to learn more about it. it's accessible. >> we have the most incredible source material. the book on hamilton and washington, they're great. it's great to know that theater is, and always has been, but continues to be such great vehicles to allow people into a world that they wouldn't normally wander into. >> how did you -- you researched this. we all think we know george washington. but what did you find out that surprised you? >> i was amazed at how resilient he was. this is a man who lost more than he won. you get three bases out of ten, and you're in the hall of fame. washington's batting average was

knew how to manage the people around him, put the right people in place to be at their best. certainly, he never would have been who he became without hamilton. i don't think hamilton would have been able to rise to his level of acompkompccomplishment without washington enabling him and creating the space for him. >> you and the creator of the show go way back. you heard he was coming up with the idea for the show. >> he came back from vacation and we were on stage doing a show. during one of the sections, they were sitting there and he says, i got the next thing. i'm like, okay. what is it? alexander hamilton. all right. >> i'm? >> great. of course, the next audience, all actors are the same. he's a tremendous man and a tremendous writer.

>> we know your wife and daughter are so proud of you. we're rooting for you, as well. >> thank you. >> phenomenal. what to rap, willie? chris is here. >> not again. i've seen him work. >> willie owns his world -- >> not against these guys. >> phenomenal job. just ahead, thinking about buying or selling a home? the red flags to watch out for before you choose a weight watchers has changed. weight watchers all-new beyond the scale program puts the focus on you and not just the number on the scale. lose weight while eating healthier, with all new smartpoints. and move more by including fitness in ways that work for you. see how good you'll feel with the new weight watchers beyond the scale program! join for free now and lose 10 pounds on us. all the hard work... time in the service...

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now to our series, consumer confidential. we're getting the inside scoop on buying and selling a home. >> we'll talk about the common lingo and understanding the listing price. good to see you. >> you, as well. you have red flags. >> when you talk about choosing an agent, if you have an agent that tells you exactly what you want to hear, as opposed to what you have to hear, that's probably a bad thing. most of the time, if an agent comes in and gives you the highest price -- say you interview four agents. three said it should be $100,000 and one says ss $125,000, probably too good to be true. if an agent says, if you can't sell it, i'll buy it, it's like likely they'll buy it for a low price, and you'll be in bad shape anyway. the other thing that is out

if an agent is ready to give away their commission, what makes you think they're not going to give away the price of your house? >> true. let's talk about when you're into the buying home process, sometimes it's good to go offline to find a home in your area. >> when you look at real estate portals, talk about zillow, realtor.com, they're a wonderful source of information. having said that, we're in a low inventory condition right now. everybody knows that real estate is local. the real estate agent is local, as well. what's important, if you have a an agent who works in an area you're buying a house, chances are good they'll know about a house being on the market before it ever comes on the market. i think when you look at millenials as the shining example, they want to spend all their time online. they're doing their own research, looking at things. the reality is, if you want to buy in a certain area, online portals are never going to take the place of a real estate agent. real estate always has been, is now, and i think is always going to be personal.

>> let's talk lingo. a lot is code language. let's start with professionally clean. what does that mean? >> remember real estate agents are salespeople and have to people. if they say, your home needs to be professionally cleaned, the reality is, it's likely an armpit and there is absolutely no chance it's going to sell. >> walk away from it. >> the seller is motivated? >> i have to be honest, if the seller is motivated, if you see it in writing or an agent says that to you, this is a big message. this is the girl you want to take to prom. if you want to good deal, this is the one you want to do. for me, i'm a pit bull. hang a steak around the door and i'll kill the deal. >> top producers. if the agent says he or she is a top producer. >> like somebody is trying to brand themselves. they can't say, top agent in an office. that really is more like, i don't have enough to say about myself, so i'm just going to say i'm a top producer.

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toughest role as an advocate in her public battle against alzheimer's, which she was diagnosed with in 2013. b. and her husband of 23 years, dan gasby, wrote a new book. it's called "before i forget." love, hope, health and acceptance in our fight against alzheimer's. b. and dan, good to see you guys. >> always good to see you, too. >> first, you look terrific. how are you doing? >> i feel great. happy to be here today. thank you very much. and things are going pretty good. i'm learning while, you know -- in a new way, and i like that. it's getting better and better. >> the title of the book is poignant. it has a number of meanings. >> it's a love story. it's one of overcoming tremendous obstacles. it's one of being honest and worth forthright about what relationships are and can be. the things you don't know can make a difference. it's also about science.

it's also about understanding that alzheimer's is a devastating disease that affects 5.2 million people. twice as likely in african-americans to have it. the impact is even more devastating. 2 out of 3 patients are women. i call it a 21st century civil rights issue, al, because the impact is not going to stop if we don't put the funding up. that's why we decided to come out and talk about it, the government funding. >> you had an inking something was happening, that happened on our show during a segment. >> yes. we were doing a segment for labor day. i believe peter alexander and savannah guthrie were on. we used to call her on the show, one-take barbie. at the start, she froze. >> i marinated and reduced --

>> no, just guessing. i'm throwing myself off. >> don't worry. we'll look up the ingredients. >> myself and the person with me looked at each other and said, we never seen that before. that was sort of like the way, when you do weather, you say a storm is coming. well, it doesn't come at once. it starts in a trickle. >> i also, you know, felt like, this is something very different that had never happened to me. so while, you know, i was thinking about it, what am i going to do about this? i kept trying to figure out what to do. i went to some of my doctors and, you know, people who knew me well enough. >> we had to find the right doctor. >> it is such an open and honest book, but it is a love story but it's a call to action. it is a fantastic book. everybody needs to read the book. >> thank you, al. >> b. smith and dan gasby,

>> we love you. >> thank you. >> love you, too, man. >> thank you so much. >> thank you. the book is "before i forget."

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go to getfios.com or call 888.get.fios. get out of the past. get fios. you thought this hour was good, wait until you see next hour. hoda tearing up vegas. what's going on out there? >> we are going to have some fun. went to see a little j.lo last night. hey! >> hoda is basically part of the family. >> i feel it. we did a few pictures. i got to say, my favorite picture, we have a couple of them, but my favorite may have been a picture ifo photo bombed. justin bieber was the center of the picture. back?

we'll go behind the scenes with j.lo. >> i jumped off a building. natalie, where were you? >> i would have loved to have joined you, my dear. >> wow. >> can't wait to see it. >> we want to point out our very high tech signage. >> look how beautiful. vegas. >> you blew the budget on that one. >> what is that, another convention in town, ladies? >> we know nothing about it. >> adult entertainment convention. get it straight. >> so much better. >> thank you. >> just like the oscars. ladies, see you in a few minutes. all right. that does it for us. we, of course, will update everybody on the impending nor'easter and blizzard coming this way. >> weather channel.com always for information. >> we'll be covering this on

>> brandon thinks hellmann's is heaven in a jar. that's because our ingredients come from... farmers committed to responsibly sourced oils... blended with ingredients like cage-free eggs. mmm. heaven. real ingredients. that's how we're working to

from nbc news, this is a special edion of "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotbe live from las vegas. what happens here stays here. >> vegas, guys.