we're back now on a monday morning, it is the 17th day of december, 2010. that christmas tree just looks better and better as the holiday is fast approaching, we have got people all around the world, ready to descend on rockefeller plaza, do a little sightseeing, a little shopping. we have a lot of people out on the plaza, we want to thank them for stopping by. out on the plaza, i'm matt lauer, along be natalie morales and al roker. we all know that julian assange

the founder of wikileaks has been released from a british jail where he was awaiting extradition to sweden. he's now going to fight that extradition on charges of sexual molestation. we spoke to him on a live interview from outside london earlier this morning. you'll hear what he had to say about the charges against him. >> he's under arrest at his mansion. also ahead, what could have been an enormous tragedy, you all remember that shocking video that we saw earlier this week, an armed man held school board members at gunpoint and started shooting. lester, he started firing at brave security guards. despite his incredible bravery, he does not consider himself a hero, we're going to hear from him and his wife. what he does for kids in his community.

>> he's a hero. >> he is a hero. when we move around new york city, you get a real sense of how great the food is around new york. >> oh, yeah. >> we're going to take you along with martha samuel son is going to show us how the different cultures in. >> good morning once again, everybody. in the news, president obama today signs the $850 billion bill, a package of tax cut extensions passed by the house overnight. it includes a renewal of expired long time jobless benefits. it must now work on a smaller version to keep the government funded into the new year. julian assange appeared on this program this morning and denounced the sex crimes allegations against him.

>> this has been a very successful smear campaign so far. but i think its days are numbers and people are starting to wonder, is what is claimed really true and if it is true, where is the evidence? >> assange is under house arrest after being freed on bail on thursday. winter weather is blamed for at least five traffic deaths in the midwest and the south including three in alabama. drivers in roanoke, virginia -- according to the study from tobacco control, pollutant scientists called third hand smoke can endanger nonsmokers who move in for months. walmart is recalling 2.2 million space heaters sold between december 2001 and october 2009 saying the heaters can pose a fire and burn hazard. nasa has made an amazing

discovery on one of saturn's moons, it's a volcano spewing shushy ice. there may be heat under ground, an essential ingredient for sustaining life. new hope for americans con funnied to wheelchairs is called the rewalk exo skeleton can move a patient's torso and stay in balance. and not all reindeer have shiny noses. they are being fitted with reflective collars that cut down on traffic accidents. it is now four minutes past the hour, let's go back outside to matt. >> all right, ann, thank you very much. this lady says she wants some warmer weather. all right, around may, i think we'll be able to help her out. this is the greatest snow suit i have ever seen. who's this? >> this is hudson.

she wanted to come say hi to nana and papa in seattle today. >> i love that, how old is he? >> six months. >> merry christmas. >> merry christmas. >> don't leave him out in the sun too long. let's check out and see what's going on for today. we have the pineapple express rocking into the west coast. rain along the coast, inland snowfall amounts some areas picking up five to seven feet of snow. you can see the winter storm warnings, watches and advisories extend into the rockies. rainfall anywhere from five to seven inches of rain, some areas locally in the upslope mo

>> temperatures climbing into the 20's this morning. weather disturbance to our north producing snow showers. a basically dry day to day. >> and that's your latest weather. and we're in the midst of our 17th annual toy drive. literacy is a big part of that. you guys have always been great to us. >> we're glad to do this for the second year in a row. this year we're donating 20,000 books to the holiday drive. twice as many as last year. books are a key to learning and we're thrilled to be a part of it. >> thank you very much. let's head back into to natalie.

security chief mike jones is being hailed as a hero for taking out the gunman at a school board meeting. she began by asking at what point did he know he had to get into that room? >> when i was going through the door and i saw him square his back to me and put both arms in front of him with his weapon, i knew he was fixing to do it. by the time i -- i didn't open the door hardly at all, i heard the first gunshot so i snatched it open. i couldn't wait any longer. >> at that point did you think that the superintendent was dead? >> yes, ma'am. >> so when he stood up, that's when you say you lost it? >> when i went down the aisle and took the gun out of the -- mr. duke's hand and threw it over to the side. and i was kind of like,

everything just went blank, i couldn't hear anything, i was just like in a wind tunnel or something. and all of a sudden, the superintendent and franklin harrison the school board attorney came up and i lost it right then. i could not believe they were alive. that man was two feet from them when he pulled the trigger. >> mike, you said 20 years on the police force before you became a security guard. never had fired your gun at someone and it has weighed very heavily on you since. i know you sought counsel with your preacher to get right with god as you said. the first thing that came to your mind after the shooting, what is the community going to think of me? what were you worried about? >> taking a life from someone, and i'm known as salvage santa and this jolly, nice guy, you know, in the church. i just didn't want my fellow

parishioners feeling bad about what i had done. there's not a lot of people that have taken another life. i'm not proud of it. i just did my job. i done what i was trained to do and thank god that all that kicked in when this happened. >> colleen, members of the community are calling mike a hero whether he likes it or not, is that how you see him this morning? >> absolutely. absolutely. he didn't have to go into that room. he could have waited until all the other police officers showed up as backup. he just -- he couldn't. he's got a big heart. he always feels like he's responsible for the world and that's his nature and it didn't surprise me at all that he ran into that building, into that room. >> you know, mike, you are obviously considered a hero by the members of your community, but you're also known for the things that you do every day as salvage santa to help the needy kids in your area, we did

contact schwinn and they wanted to donate 500 bikes and helmets. so that will be in time for christmas. you've changed so many lives, mike. this experience, how has it changed your life? >> 500 bikes? >> 500 bikes. it's certainly changed it that way. one way to put the focus on the kids instead of yourself. >> you might want to call an ambulance again, my heart's fixing to race again. this is so awesome and there's so many kids in our community that need help and i'm on the board of directors at the salvation army. and we still have 400, 500 kids still on the pick an angel tree this week. i went to the radio station today before this shooting and asked for some help for them as well. and -- wow, this is saw many. -- awesome. >> mike jones and his wife colleen. up next how the traditional

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after 2 starter doses, it's stelara®. this morning jenna bush hagger is taking us -- >> esteemed chef marcus samuelsson took me on a journey to find the meaning of the new holiday meal. and it's definitely not your parents turkey and mashed potatoes. >> filipino roles with grilled salmon. it may seem like simply ethnic dishes, yet a day spent eating with chef marcus samuelsson in new york prove they symbolize so much through this holiday season. how would you define the new holiday meal? >> it's just yummy. each family is difference. >> and to taste these differences, you didn't need to travel far.

first stop brooklyn, new york, the -- the filipino swedish christmas. is this a typical holiday meal in sweden? >> you cannot have a meal without -- >> and herring, which i was a little afraid to try. >> it took my mom about five years to truly appreciate this. >> i wonder if it will take me five minutes. all right. >> here we go. >> ooh. >> one thing that's good. >> when i cook, i think of my father, now i definitely cook better than he does. >> reporter: next carlos and christy lopez and leslie lufkin where traditions were promised.

we started with a dish that helps keep the people warm. >> so this is basically the ecuadoran hot chocolate? >> hot chocolate with eggnog. >> it's pork shoulder. >> it's very important that you use your hands, because actually using a knife will affect the taste. it's a very rustic meal, so get your hands dirty. >> it's really, really good. how important is it to you that your daughter is raised respecting different types of food, different types of cultures? >> extremely important. we want for her to respect other cultures, to always want to try new things. >> oh, she likes it, does she like it? oh, she loves it. >> but she didn't love her father's feeding her.

>> thank you very much. >> no problem, thank you very much. >> finally we were off to chef moon's kitchen. she learned to cook as a young girl watching the women in her village. this is like having turkey on your christmas dinner. >> for ethiopians. >> and i noticed there's no fork. >> dig in. >> we have to take a chance. >> we have to take a chance, i like that. >> it's not just the bread, it's one of the oldest -- >> this is sort of like your fork too, right? >> absolutely. >> we have new americana, it's also the taste of immigrants and the taste of the rest of society. i think that we're better off for it.

>> reporter: three families sharing traditions on their own new american tables. food that across all cultures this holiday, we have much to celebrate. we should mention that marcus's love of his new home harlem has inspired him to open a new restaurant, the red rooster and it opens tonight. >> this story has us all salivating. >> and you brought us some stuff. >> if you want to try it. they put it with the swedish sauce and it's traditional with corn nuts and the sauce. and if anybody really wants to dig in. and then this is t as they say in america, cheers. >> happy holidays. >> eat, drink and be merry,

right? >> still to come, the ultimate holiday gift guide for everyone on your list. after these messages. and melt with you ♪ stop thd ♪ i'll stop the world ♪ ♪ i will stop the world ♪ ♪ you've seen the difference ♪ ♪ and it's getting better all the time ♪ ♪ i will stop the world ♪

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parmesan cheese, and caesar dressing. turn plain lettuce into a hidden valley salad. maybe this sounds familiar, 3:00 a.m. feedings, baby

blankets, teaching your children right from wrong. maria met one woman who's doing just that for dozens of babies. maria, good morning. >> good morning, and these are baby elephants, they're orphans and they're part of a very memorable extended family in nairobi, kenya. at six weeks old, she's waking up. nearby, 18 other orphans are in need of a stretch, a push and even a morning cuddle. their keepers guide them every step of the way. for over 30 years the davis shelter wildlife trust has been rescuing babies like these. and they're teaching them what their moms would have taught them had they not been victims of poaching. before he was rescued, he went by his dying mother's side for hours. those kinds of traumatic memories are one of the many reasons keepers stay with the elephants 24 hours a day, even sleep with them at night and

feed them ever three hours. >> they all have different characters. some are very cheerful, very playful, very calm, very shy. >> how did you guys figure out to use a blanket? he has spent the last 50 years living with and learning from orphaned african elephants as the species is increasingly threatened by human conflict and ivory poaching. >> all that we know has come from her. how to give them the care that they need. >> daphne is the widow of famed conservationist david shelton. this has become her life's work. >> so there wasn't this big research team, it was you? >> no none of the reserves could help us. they had never ever been able to raise an infant elephant themselves. >> reporter: now a world renowned expert, she has successfully raised 130 elephants into adult hood and

released them into the wild. but it has not been without heart break. one of the first orphans she raised from infancy died from grief when daphne took a brief trip. >> you learn the hard way. >> reporter: ever since, the keepers rotate each night so no baby grows too attached. the work has always been part of the family with the help of daughters julie and angela. >> when you see the elephants growing a huge herd there and she can stand back and say, but for i, it's a good feeling. >> you have to love them, because an elephant can read your heart. >> reporter: it turns out the biggest lesson learned is that elephants are as human as the rest of us. >> they absolutely are and if you're looking for a great christmas gift, you can foster a baby elephant in your child's name and follow their progress

as they grow up. you can go to todayshow.com. >> thanks, maria. still to come, we're going to show you how to spruce up your traditional holidays with christmas trees. if you think all batteries are the same... consider this: these duracell batteries were given... to the mattel children's hospital, u.c.l.a. because when it comes to kids and healing... you're not just powering a toy. you're powering a smile. duracell. trusted everywhere.

when you don't have to cook, you have time for other things. yeah, like what? i don't know. fishing. fishing?! i, uh, i said wishing. [ female announcer ] when we do the cooking, you do the enjoying.

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you may have heard of the big wedding coming up next year. well, prepare to say goodbye to 2010, a lot of people are looking forward to the new year and the royal wedding of prince william and kate middleton monday on "today." we're going to talk to the author of a new biography. i don't know where he gets that. >> some people, they know how to rake it in. we'll be talking about our holiday gift guide. >> and we have a profile of the

couples' baby too. >> they have been together eight years. there's always a few people on that list every year that are very, very hard to buy for, right? this morning, "instyle" magazine ensures you have something for everyone, from your co-workers to picky teens. we have got some unique ideas to suit every taste. >> especially for people who haven't actually bought their tree yet. like me, they need to kind of get on the --. also coming up, we have got some amazing holiday recipes. but first we have got amy robach who has a look at what's coming up this weekend on "today." >> we're going to look at how the popular website the huffington post is trying to lift the stigma of divorce.

and you mentioned next year's royal wedding, coming up how prince william's late mother princess diana is playing a big role in the runup to the ceremony. the doctor who underwent that double hand transplant goes home for the holidays. and saturday marks one week until christmas. if you haven't started your shopping yet, ann hasn't bought a tree, some people haven't started shopping yet. don't worry, we have some last minute gift ideas for you. >> now let's get a check of the weekend weather. do we have a snowy white christmas planned for anybody here on the northeast? i'm kind of waiting for it. >> i haven't planned it, but i'll start working on it. here's what we have planned for your weekend, we have a lot of snow in the midwest, cloudy in the northeast. we are looking at a storm developing along the southeastern atlantic coast that

by sunday may be causing some major snow in new england and new york if it stays close enough to the coast. >> a mixture of sunshine and clouds this morning, snow activity to the north of us. temperatures coming to the 20's. eventually we make it into the coming up next, we have the ultimate holiday gift guide. right after this. ♪ would you like me to read you a story? you can't read. [ grandma ] 'twas the night before christmas, and all through the house...

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[ female announcer ] then sprinkles. [ both giggle ] [ female announcer ] fun. easy. [ child ] wow. [ female announcer ] at pillsbury.com. all day friday and saturday, get countdown to christmas doorbusters at sears. this nikon twelve mega pixel camera is only eighty-nine, ninety-nine. plus, 7am through noon saturday get an extra 10% off all tools, even sale prices. sears. be the santa you want to be. we always make time for just us cousins. like the other night at olive garden. hey susan, you gotta tell the aunt jessie story again. -yes, you do! -ok, ok. joe: love that story. try olive garden's two new scaloppini dishes. pan-seared chicken breasts in a lemon-herb glaze. or sauteed pork in a creamy white wine sauce. both served with asiago filled tortelloni. with our unlimited salad and breadsticks. this is like being back at the kids' table. [ laughter ] olive garden. when you're here, you're family.

"today's" holiday gift guide is brought to you by target. expect more, pay less. >> this morning on "today's" holiday gift guide, a gift for everyone on your list. lisa arbiter is editor of instyle. first the gift for the fashionista. >> everyone fashionista knows that -- they have been reissuing some of their best sellers. this is a trio of those for about $66. >> this is for your kindle, right?

>> they are kindle covers, they come in great prints and they're $85. >> and you can't go wrong with lip gloss. >> and five come in this kit and it's a nice array of neutrals and bright. they're all sheer so they're easy to wear. and that's $50. >> and if you want a little bit of a splurge here, you've got the glittery shirt. >> because this is a t-shirt and because the sequins are matte, you can dress it down with jeans and a cardigan. >> this is very cool. >> this is a combination of a camera and swim goggles. if you have a snorkeler or a skin diver in your life, this is for them. >> this is actually a very good deal? >> this is $30, feels great, nice, denim shirt. ted's and gap got together to

make this bhybrid. >> and tell me about these really cool headphones. >> gorgeous is not really a word you use for headphones but these really are. these are based on the design of aviator sunglasses. >> uh-huh. >> so they have this great design, they're $150. >> all right, now for the little fries. >> this is in the cuteness category. van made these for kids. they're $32 to $37. >> my son's a huge fan. >> this is the price for the most adorable. >> everybody was dying for some of these. >> these are thing a majig. they're just too cute, you cannot resist them. >> love it. >> and i love the little mouths. >> and they're such a great price.

>> $13, and you can get them on amazon.com. >> they make your laugh. okay, cool, cool. how awesome is this? >> this right here is a skate board. >> three wheels instead of four, so it's got better maneuverability and it's small enough for somebody to fit in their backpack. if you have an artist in your life, this is a great kit. it's in a nice box that makes storage easier. $26. >> and now for the teens. >> you're not going to get any eye rolls if you give any of these gifts. >> these are very hip items for them. >> these are very hip, you can wear them one at a time or in multiples. >> it's faux leather? >> yes. >> speaking of faux leather. every teen wants to be cool, so you can get her a faux leather express jacket for $98. >> it's all about games this season.

>> this is rock band iii. it's very addictive, they can play at home with the family or online with friends. >> very cool. and now what are these here? >> these are miniskorts. >> a keyboard with her leather jacket. lisa, thank you very much. great ideas as always. coming up next, christmas trees with a twist, but first, these messages. ♪ i'm gonna get it, i know i'm gonna get it. ♪ ♪ i can't wait ♪ every little step, brings me closer to the gift. can't be late. ♪ rip it open in a second and 's time to play. ♪ ♪ i was up all night in anticipation feeling electric jewels of jubilation. ♪ ♪ yule tide carols from the local congregation. ♪ ♪ make it tough to hold my patience in check. ♪ ♪ is it time yet, is it time, i can't wait. ♪ ♪ is it time yet, is it time, i can't wait. ♪

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jeff -- eat a snickers... please. why? every time you get hungry, you turn into a diva. a diva? yes, a diva. [ aretha ] okay. thank you. better? [ male announcer ] you're not you when you're hungry. better. [ male announcer ] snickers satisfies. "today" celebrates christmas is brought to you by snickers brand. snickers satisfies. >> this morning on "today" celebrates christmas, some untraditional ideas for your traditional home. the lifestyle editor for guild group has some gorgeous new ways you can branch out. good morning. >> good morning.

thanks for having me. >> it's great to have you, you look beautiful and you know about style and this is a stylish tree. >> yes. this is sort of our traditional with a twist tree. and it's sort of a fashionable version of a partridge in a pear tree. >> that explains the feathers. >> we were really inspired, if you decorate your home, you can use any inspiration to decorate your tree. black is the universal color of fashion so we started with these black ball ornaments and started from there. and believe it or not, black is one of the most popular colors, big trend this season for the holidays. >> that is surprising. >> it is surprising. >> you talk about that you can use anything. look at this, this is so great. and i was just hearing from somebody i know that works here actually, he said that once they were so poor, he and his friends they actually went out and got branchs and made their own christmas tree. >> it's a great nondenominational christmas

tree. we have been hearing of trends, there's people who are going out there and hiring decorators to decorate their home for christmas. but this is so easy. you can use any branches you want. >> you've got one of these to put them in, and make sure it's very secure. >> and you just decorate with any ornaments that you like. and we chose a winter white theme. love these crystals and these little votive holders, they actually have battery operated candles in there. >> the battery operated is a better way to go. we don't want any fire hazards. there's a lot of multicolored options. >> it's all about color when it comes to trees this season. you can get a tree in every color under the rainbow. these are all from christmas central.com and they're every size starting at $54 up to over $45 for these colored trees. black, this tree over here is actually the most popular color.

>> wow. >> of colored trees that are sold. >> that is interesting. >> can you believe that? >> it certainly makes a fashion statement. it's very dramatic. >> and we chose sort of a silver tree, a throw back to the old '50s aluminum tree and decorated it with technicolor tear drops and a big star from cb-2. we just put that star on top with floral wire. you can attach anything to a tree with floral wire. >> this is probably the most expensive tree. you said this was designed by an architect? >> this is called the possibility tree. >> it's the possibility that he doesn't have any cleanup. >> no cleanup. this is by author richard babcock created this for his family, because he was tired of hauling a tree, cleaning up after it, watering it. this is such a sleek, modern design, these are wood and they're just slats and you hang

it from the ceiling. you can hang it high and put presents underneath and you can use any ornament that you want. >> he's used the overnightments just as the branches are. >> you cannot even have a tree, you can have a decal. you can put the gifts right over here? >> and this is a wall decal. it's a giant stick they're you peel and stick. this is actually a limited edition from an author named christopher dabble. it's not just a sticker, it's a work of art and if you wanted to, you could leave it up all year long. they're about 1$125 and a lot o well known artists actually created their versions of trees. >> you have given us lots of options if we haven't gotten a tree yet. coming up, delicious holiday cookie recipes.

but first, this is "today" on nbc.

this morning on "today's" holiday kitchen, we are baking a fresh batch of christmas cookies. we have got marion, john, anthony and elena. good morning, everybody. >> good morning. >> all right, well, let's get started. i always like this. >> you know, al, this is on everybody's table at christmas. >> what is this called? >> it's truefully. >> it's these little round balls that we saute or fry. >> right. >> and then i'll leave that second product to john. so let's begin with this. this is a dough we made with some regular flour. >> right. >> rye whisky.

12 eggs, you roll it out, you cut it and that's how you make your balls. i like to brown it and then put it in the saute pan. and then i'm going to turn it over to my cookie. >> how did i get stuck with you this holiday season? i just want to know. >> in any event, i am deep frying the dough until it's lightly brown. you'll take them out, we'll put them on the tray here, and basically what i have done is have it here and now i'm making sauce, it's a little dangerous here, i have honey already in, we have some walnuts, some lemon, watch my mom, she's crazy this holiday season. a little salt. we warm it up and now these are the cooked dough. you'll take this and place it right on top. >> yes. >> and it will look like this and we certain this. >> why are you talking like

that? >> you pour the honey in. >> ann, why don't you take it over? >> that's all right. that's all right. it happens to the best of us. >> during the holidays, this is what we have. it's warm, they're really delicious. look what we started here. i've been toasting some almond paste and some confectionery sugar together. it's just going to take a second. and then what we're going to do is take this off. andi inthen if you can help me, love. we want to try to add this to the mixture. i'm going to add a little salt. >> the dough smells so

wonderful. how do you find this almond taste? >> in the store. you're going to mix that together. >> we're going to pretend we did that. then what happens. >> we're going to get it going like this. it sets up in the refrigerator. put it in one of these disposable -- >> or like a baggie. >> we're going to squeeze, it's a little goey and delicious. you're going to add a little pine nuts, you're going to set your oven at 350, 12 to 14 minutes. >> i can't wait to taste this. >> and you've got stained glass cookies. you make these with the kids? >> this is such a fun recipe, it's a classic sugar dough and you get one of these cookie cutters and you obviously take the sides out. >> right. >> and then we'll just do that. >> and then you keep that in there? >> and then you do a little one. and what we have done, is we

have chopped lifesavers and basically you sprinkle the lifesavers in the middle and you bake it like that at 325. and this is what it comes out. it's really fun to get the kids involved, they can chop the lifesavers, they can eat the lifesavers. that was a christopher columbus hat on the boat. so if it's good enough for him. >> you have to cut them and bake them.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is a wbal-tv 11 news update. >> it has been a cold morning. some of the morning lows were in

the teens. we are in the 20's with a mixture of sunshine and clouds. does not look like a big issue. here is the seven-day forecast. 36 for the