i'm thankful to work with you guys. >> as well. >> "today" show starts next in a few minutes. >> you can get updates anytime at our website. happy thanksgiving. good morning. for the birds, misery for millions of travelers in the after math of that nasty nor'easter. snow, ice, rain, triggering massive power outages and more than several 00 kavrngs cancelled flights. we could see more today. more unrest in los angeles and spreading to other parts of the world. this as police uncover a disturbing plot to kill the prosecutor in the michael brown case. ready, set, shop, the holiday rush is on early this year with major retailers opening tear doors today. if you are looking for bargain,

bring your phone, the hottest new way to find the deals and beat the crowds. up, up, and away, anticipation is building for the mace canny's thanksgiving day parade and those iconic balloons. we have all your excitement. today, thursday, november 27th, 2014. from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. and good morning, welcome to you on this happy thanksgiving, a happy thanksgiving to one and all, i am natalie morales with dill lan dwyer and willie geist. al is on the upper west side, they're all getting ready for this morning's parade. hey, guys. >> good morning, natalie.

happy thanksgiving, everybody. >> who let dillan dwyer in the studio? >> i had to ask for an i.d. i was so scared for her yesterday. >> i guess our little petition freed dillan. >> thank you. >> poly, it's not too bad. we will learn more about that in a second. it is rain, sleeting, snow shopping, winds are low. that's great news for the balloons, great news for the hosts as well. >> exactly. we have a beautiful morning. maybe a little sleet. i think it will clear up. we have a great parade, new floats, new character balloons, everyone knows how i feel about snoopy, you are watching a live commercial right now. >> willie, i got your text early this morning, i got my homework, 1,300 cheerleaders in the parade. >> thank you. did a headcount on the way in, thank you, matt, for confirm shopping. >> all right, guy, thank you so

much. lets head uptown to al, how is it looking for the parade? >> reporter: well, interesting, natalie, texted me, you wanted to know, there are a thousand clowns. it looks, stretching all the way down central park west. can you see all the floats lined up. over here on 77, we got some of the balloons, in fact, there is thomas the tank engine, he will be a new one. the tom turkey right there. the parade forecast. we got light snow falling up here right now. cloudy skies. the temperatures will be in the 30s but no winds. the giant balloons will, in fact, fly, guys. that's good news. yesterday, flying was almost brought to a stand till in the middle east states. we had interstates shut down. just a complete mess. let's get the latest on what's

going on out there right now. stephanie gosk at the airport. are things kracalming down a bi? >> reporter: they have. this week is always a travel story of extremes, wednesday the heaviest day of the year followed by today, which is supposed to be the lightest. but that storm has screwed it all up. today it's a lot busier than it is on a thanksgiving morning. people making that last ditch effort to get back for the big meal. winter weather we'll be right backed havoc on wednesday, one of the heaviest travel days of the year the storm dump shopping rain, snow, sleet, forcing over 700 flight cancellations wednesday 7,000 flights nationwide. >> my flight was delayed. >> 13 hours, they'll get delayed again. >> reporter: a travel fight mayor at airports and on the

road. the storm snarled traffic on self major highways, from virginia to pennsylvania and on into new england. >> this is awful. >> reporter: lower gas prices and a healthier economy have gave big boost to the thanksgiving travel season. aaa estimates 46 million americans will travel by air or road this weekend. but despite matter nature's refusal to cooperate, some travelers are shaking off the turkey day travel woes. >> be on the lookout for each other. >> nature is nature. you get mad over that, you are setting your own self up. >>. >> reporter: no matter how you get home, don't forget to pack your patience. good fuse and bad fuse this morning at laguardia, the good news, all the flights are leaving on time. the bad news, you are traveling on thanksgiving day. matt, willie, back to you. >> and clear shopping out that backlog from yesterday. stephanie, thank you, happy thanksgiving. all right. now to the con going protests

over the grand jury's decision in the michael brown case. it was another night of demonstration across the country. this as federal agents stop the plot to kill the prosecutor and the ferguson police chief. nbc's ron alan has more. good morning. good morning, natalie. >> that report was obtained in the federal dispatch. we did confirm this with police chief tom jackson of ferguson, who said he was, fact, warned that he was a plot by two men recently arrested on federal weapons charges, jackson said he wasn't given details but he did believe the threat was credible. overnight, flash points with the streets outside ferguson police headquarters were relatively calm. as chief tom jackson revealed in a telephone interview, he took warnings of a death threat very seriously as they assured him, he said, that it was under control. that revelation as the demand

for justice for michael brown echos coast-to-coast after a grand jury's decision not to indict officer darren wilson. several hundred demonstrators, post-peaceful, out in force late wednesday in los angeles. a major highway and protests in the washington, d.c. while back in ferguson along a street of battered and boarded shops, folks pick up the pieces. >> there was a care thrown through my window. i just cried. i just cried. i was really hurt. >> things are sweeter now with natalie's cakes and more rush shopping to fill holiday orders, because someone far away saw her story on the news. >> it was so upsetting, i thought i don't want to watch this and be so upset anymore, i want to do something. >> reporter: she helped her set up a go fund me site online. the last time they checked the bakery had a lot of doug,

$200,000, continue booicontribus from everywhere. >> i wish i could go hug everyone. >> the outpour shopping, the well wishes, it was amazing. >> reporter: she's, obviously, a very, very fortunate washington because there are still dozens of dozens of businesses, many mom and pop stores still reeling from all the mayhem here and hoping it is finally coming to an end. >> which all hope, thank you, ron. now to another police shooting. this one in cleveland. under surveillance video has been released of the deadly shooting of a 12-year-old boy as his parents now speak out. nbc's kevin tibbles has the details. >> a 12-year-old boy with a plastic pellet gun in the park prompts a 911 call to police. >> the guy keeps pulling it out. >> reporter: he questions whether the gun is even real. >> it's probably fake, but you

know what, he's staring at me. >> reporter: 12-year-old shamirrice was shot down. >> radio? shots fired, male down, umm black mail, maybe 20, black revolver. >> reporter: at the behess of the boy's family, police have now released and edited version of the under surveillance video. it shows him walking, sometimes pointing the gun. >> he keeps pulling a gun out of his pants, pointing it at people. >> reporter: liss said the officer wasn't told the 911 culeer suggested the gun wasn't real and rice was ordered three times to show his hands, one-and-a-half to two seconds later, a first-year officer fired. >> i have to stand behind him until i see something different. >> reporter: the gun he had, police say, was similar to this. it's called an air soft and shoots toy plastic pellets. but it certainly looks like the real ting. except for this orange piece on the barrel that identifies it as

a toy t. gun rice was holding, police say, lad the orange portion removed. >> you could trick probably 100% of the people that was a real gun. >> reporter: in a statement, his tally said, it is our situation that this could have been avoided. the video shows one thing distinctly, police officer acted quickly. protesters demand charges be filed, making comparisons to the shooting of michael brown in ferguson, missouri. >> what mattered to me is it happened in cleveland and it happened to a child. >> reporter: the two officers are now on administrative leave pending the investigation. for "today," kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. >> a terrible story. well, weekend "today" chanel williams is here. there has been another attack. >> a suicide bomber killed people in afghanistan, there were no diplomats in the car, but several british embassy

staffers were hurt. the taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack. in recent weeks, insurgents have intensified their war on u.s. forces and nato troops. both are set to end their combat role in the country at the end of the year. justice ginsburg is resting up after surgery. here's justice correspondent pete williams. >> reporter: ruth bader ginsburg is recover shopping in a washington, d.c. hospital after doctors replaced a stint in a coronary artery. she was taken to the hospital after feeling discomfort in a regular workout. she is young, on the court since 1993, because of her age, some liberal academics have been urging her to step down so president obama can appoint a successor. she insisted she is stay shopping and with the changing senate, she is not stepping down. >> in life, it's always was is

the alternative? either i stay or someone, if anyone could get through, it would not be someone that has my record. >> reporter: since her dissent in june criticizing the supreme court men by stricting contraceptives, she has dwropd a cult-like calling, it was a take on the notorious b.i.g. >> she is the left leader on the left and has had unbelievable attention on social media among younger people. i think the feels she has a unique rule. >> reporter: justice ginsberg is supposed to be out of the hospital this weekend and back at the supreme court on monday. in australia, a cricket player died two days after struck on the head by a cricket ball. kelly, good morning in london.

>> reporter: channel, good morning. this is an incredible sport around the world. like football and babe, it has an element of danger. still, no one expects a healthy 25-year-old to die playing the game. philip hughes was at bat tuesday when a fast moving pitch hit him behind the ear. he dropped. teammates called out for help. hughes was rushed to the hospital. he never regained consciousness. >> this was a freakish accident because it was an injury to the neck that caused hemorrhage to the brain. this condition is incredibly rare. >> reporter: his family and teammates devastated. the world stunned. >> we should be conscious of the ricks our sports people run to give us the pleasure that they do. >> reporter: harry stooils tweeted on tour in australia. hughest the fourth player to be killed in cricket in nearly 200

years, but head injuries have become a big worry in most sports. in youth soccer, there is even talk of helmets. cricket players of all ages do wear helmets within they're batting. the ball just happened to hit hughes below the helmet where he wasn't protected. >> so sad, thank you, kelly. there is a new border war getting attention overseas in days. last may, russian president vladmir putin released three rare siberian tigers into the wiechld as it turns out, one controlsed into china. a farmer there is paying the price. he says the tiger has killed at least 15 of his goats. three others are missing. they were released in 2012 when they were cubs. three after rehanl takes and hunt shopping training. i guess they learned to hunt very well. >> i guess the russians are compensating the farmer, give him some more goats?

international crisis. appreciate it. let's get more on the holiday forecast from al roker. al. >> hey, guys, good morning. i still have a light flurry activity. let show you what the big story will be now, now that winter storm kato has moved away, cold air has replaced all that snow here in the northeast, mid-atlantic states. in fact, chicago today with a high of 27. it could be the sixth coldest thanksgiving ever. temperatures will be 10 to 20 degrees below average. out west, there is a reg of high pressure. look at those temperatures. up into the '80s and the 70s. it is going to be anywhere from 5 to 15 degrees above average out west ♪ ♪ when the snow comes to cover the ground ♪

♪ it's a time for play, it's a whipped cream day ♪ ♪ i wait for it all year round ♪ ♪ in winter it's a marshmallow world. ♪ ♪ happy thanksgiving. i'm "first alert" meteorologist brittney shipp. we're going to stay below average today. cloudy and cold conditions. temperatures will range between 37 and 42 degrees. we're going to stay cold as we head into your friday. sunny skies for us as we end the week here. and then pushing into the weekend. 41 by saturday. by sunday, 55 degrees. mild conditions which will stick around through your monday and then we track your next chance of wintry mix on tuesday. 6r7b8g9s and that's your latest weather. everybody getting ready?

it is so exciting out here, guys. i cannot wait for the parade to start off at 9 east. . back to you. >> you always are like a little kid out there, al, tanks. matt and savannah are host shopping the macy's coverage of the thanksgiving day parade. >> reporter: hey, natalie, we are here with the producer of the thanksgiving day parade. amy, as we get ready for this parade, i did ask, how many times yesterday wherever you were did you look out the window and think, this could be tomorrow? >> i was extraordinarily pleased it happened yesterday, i wasn't looking out any window. i was in it. >> you have one extra thing to be thankful for. lots are new, including interactive elements. >> we have six new balloons, a lot of interactive elements. we are will interact with the celebrities. nobody gets to see that when they arrive in the morning. so we're taping that, the fun interaction between somebody like renee fleming and kills or

any of the jonas brothers, anybody up there, they will have a good time. we will show it to everybody on macy's.com. >> i love how you name drop. how about sting who will be in the parade. >> sting, tony danza, all in the first hour. it's incredible what's going on. >> you move back and forth. you will kick things off with a young lady we talked to a lot during the little league world series. >> i have the whole time mo 'nay davis is here. >> how many layers of clothing to you have on? >> i have five layers. i'm very warm. i'll be okay. >> we will be watching, of course. >> we have been comparing silk under wear a already this morning. >> happy thanksgiving. try to get that image out of your head, guys. >> we have to go all morning. >> just to be clear, matt was

not kidding. >> i'm glad you know. >> he pulled dillan dwyer in under her habitat buried if lake effect snow. >> we are talking about what people are thankful for, i am thankful to carson for taking the day off. >> sure you are. >> if you are thankful for something, write it on social media. we are seeing a trend on facebook. these are the three words showing up a lot. friends, family, health. facebook broke it down by state what people are thankful for. we are seeing anything from yoga to weather. if are you thankful for the internet, celebrate that on thanksgiving day, california, kansas and new hampshire are all thankful for youtube, goggle and net flicks. we are also having a lot of pictures through our #why i'm thankful, our first thanksgiving with our super hero, adorable. these folks are thankful for a lovely job with co-workers. i love this one, my husband of

11 years will be home, no more deployments, yay, i am thankful for him for service. #why i'm thankful. >> exactly. coming up, former russian spy anna chapman now in her country's military. we will tell you a story behind a strange new video. are you planning to do a little shopping later today? and tomorrow, the app you need to download to make your trip to the mall a whole lot easier. first, on this thanksgiving morning, this is "today" on nbc.

. coming up on trend shopping, the cutiest video you will see all morning. a

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the average for this time of year, 52 instead. we're going to stay in the high 40s and 50s. cape may. a closer look at temperatures, 46 degrees.

winds out of the west-northwest at 7 miles per hour. a few lingering snow showers. with temperatures staying cold. tracy. happening today. tens of thousands will gather for the long time holiday tradition which is the thanksgiving parade. here's a live look at the art museum. one of the best places to watch the parade wrap up. the parade steps a at 20th jfk. you can expect the usual floats. marching bands and santa, of course. the parade is in its 95th year and considered one of the oldest in the country. the eagles got a big welcome from our fans when they got to texas. they're getting ready for a thanksgiving day showdown with rivals. both teams atop the nfc east. kickoff at 4:30. we'll have another update in about 25 minutes. you can get the latest in the nbc10.com. i'm tracy davidson.

12340e9s i decided to marry you ♪ i decided to parry you ♪ i decided that life goes on for me. >> back now at 7:30 on this thanksgiving thursday morning. it's if 27th of november, 2014. rehearsals are under way now for the thanksgiving day parade. thousands of performers are getting ready to take part in the 88th edition. it is one of the great days of the year here in new york city. >> it sure s. that's "a gentleman's guide for murder" they're rehearse shopping. matt and savannah are watching them from their spot in herald square. >> reporter: hey, guys, what a great day for a parade. by the way, this is the 88th macy's thanksgiving day parade. matt has told me about the other

87 he has covered. i love your memories. >> reporter: this is, it's like number 16 for me, the first for savannah sense she had her own little butterball, after i put a special feel to it, i will tell you, the best thing about do shopping the parade as a host, we actually broadcast up here to my left, in a great little booth. since i have had kids old enough to come down here, a lot of times they will come down, stand beneath that booth to watch their faces as they're watching the parade is magic. it really is. >> it's wonderful. there are so many people who are already lined up to see this. it's something that's so special. i never can get over how many people watch this on thanksgiving day. it's over 50 million. they're at least listen shopping as they make their turkey and try not to burn the stuff shopping. >> exactly right. by the way, a lot of new things in the parade like those balloonic apples, like chloe,

she gave birth to tamron hall. >> no one even knows this, chloe didn't even use the epidural. >> and it's a girl. >> there is something completely wrong about that. chloe is here with the floats, the march shopping bands the cheerleaders. all the volunteers, by the way, that make this a special event. >> tamron thanks us from the airport. >> she came out perfect. so there you go. >> she's a beautiful girl! >> oh my goodness. >> all right, matt, savannah, we will check back in with you guys in our next half hour. >> see you in a bit. first, let's look at what is making headlines, travelers are dealing with heavy snow and rain. in the east, overall, 700 flights were delayed. hundreds of accidents were reported on slippery highways and roads. overnight, a new wave of protests nationwide over a grand jury's decision not to indict the police officer who shot and killed michael brown.

officials say things were peaceful for the most part. 130 demonstrators were arrested in los angeles. an experimental ebola vaccine is showing promise in early stage clinical trials. it's designed to boost immune protection and it's done just that in the first 20 volunteers to test it. coming up, are you racing to get thanksgiving concern on the table? well, fear not. we've tauld in the a-team this morning, martha stewart and giada stewart to answer all your questions. >> i love them working together. like the wonder twin powers. >> yes, i was going to say, whatever they make, we can take home. >> look what i did. >> we'll talk to them in just a few minutes. but let's begin this half hour with anna chapman, the russian spy caught living here in the united states, you might remember. she is starring in a new video as a pitch woman for vladmir putin's military. nbc's andrea mitchells a the

story. >> reporter: she's been called the fe pail james bond the russian under cover agent who made the most of her assets. now, a moscow reality tv star promoting one of vladmir putin's elite tank divisions in a propaganda video glorifying russia's company against ukraine in trademark provocative fashion. on the video, chapman says, can you imagine 2,000 real men on one training ground? but now all of their attention is not on me. her day in the life of a tampl shoppings that her do shopping it all, in uniform, climb shopping on tanks, firing on the shooting range. the only concession to fashion unlike women soldiers in russia, chapman says she argued and won the right to wear makeup. it's been four years since chapman was busted in new york,

becoming a tabloid sensation and blow shopping her cover kaz a real estate agent. >> i am anna chapman, i went into this business to help someone. >> reporter: she and her pop lor moles are said to inspire the fx americans, russian spice trained to blends in, in america. >> i am a kgb officer, after all these years i would go to jail, i would die, i would lose everything before i betray my country. >> reporter: chapman would appear to be the perfect pitch woman for vladmir putin who is known to have the eye for the ladies, especially a star gymnast and former olympics champion who also hosted a tv talk show. >> yes. >> reporter: but what is the bigger purpose of chapman's military exercise? pure propaganda as russia swallows up crimea and threatens ukraine. >> it's suffice to say the russian military is back. we are back. we are great like the world war ii days and the soviet days.

>> reporter: a female 070 0e7 5678g9. >> it's about 37 degrees right now. we got a few flurries out here, joining me right now, megan traynor. who just exploded onto the scene, with "all about the base." your hips are moving. you have a lot to be thankful for this year. >> this is incredible. it's great. i'm on it now. it's crazy. >> that's right. so what are you doing? you are on a float? >> i'm on the goldilocks. yeah, it's adorable. i walked by it. i'm dock my new single. >> reporter: by the way, so

after you finish the parade, you are flying to nantucket. that's where you will spend thanksgiving with your family in. >> i get to see my family. i'm so excited. hi grandmarks hi mom, hi. >> today it's all about the turkey, not about the baste. >> all about the turkey. >> thanks, for having me. >> reporter: let's check your weather, no problems here in the east. you head out west, man, what a mess. you should be thankful you are not going to seattle. a lot of heavy rain there. >> look at that. >> reporter: all day, 50s and heavy rain t. good news is, it's going to get down into northern and central california where they really need it. so every little bit helps. but they do have flash flood watches in effect. look at that all the rain, we are talking one to three inches of rain, some areas picking up 8 inches of rain and mountain snow, that's at least good news for the skiers. the rest of the country, mid-atlantic states seeing snow.

>> that's good. >> that's happy thanksgiving. i'm "first alert" meteorologist brittney shipp. we're going to stay below average today. cloudy and cold conditions. temperatures will range between 37 and 42 degrees. we're going to stay cold as we head into your friday. sunny skies for us as we end the week here. and then pushing into the weekend. 41 by saturday. by sunday, 55 degrees. mild conditions which will stick around through your monday and then we track your next chance of wintry mix on tuesday. >> reporter: well, there you have it, megan traynor surrounded by clowns. yes, that's another thing to be thankful for. >> all right, al, thanks, so much. coming up next, the high-tech help you will need to plot and plan the black friday shopping spree. coming up on trend shopping, #not impressed.

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[ music playing ] >> a little rehearsal outside macy's in herald square. that side show the ladies there singing a little tune from the show. okay, today all about the parade, the food, maybe a little football in your future. with some retailers open shopping their door, it also means shopping. >> reporter: this is about to look like this, for some, it's too much. >> most of the time i'm annoyed. >> i prefer to do everything online. >> reporter: but this year, to compete with online shopping, mall release going digital. >> i like to think of it as a

personal concierge. >> reporter: to help shoppers get through the holiday madness. >> we're trying to make the shopping experience as painless as possible. >> reporter: at tyson's in virginia. >> turn by turn directions plotted on the map. >> reporter: shoppers are use the mall's few app to map out a walk from store to store. >> there it is, this is the map. it's tell shopping me to what do, so let's go. >> reporter: a regular shopper here, alexandria says she still gets lost. >> it helps me if i'm meeting a friends, i'm fear pottery barn, if i'm across the mall and i have no where, where they are, it will take me two seconds to figure it out. >> reporter: a little factor in this mall is as big as 62 football fields. >> you know what i'm saying? you need it. >> reporter: looking for certain gift, the app is tied into a command center where every question is instantly answered by text. i would like to buy vale a christmas gift. she is three months old, any

suggestions? >> i would recommend checking out nordstroms or pottery barn kids, they have perfect baby gifts. >> reporter: i have the perfect gift for vale, oh, no peek shopping. the app can help you schedule a time the visit santa. if you download the app. >> this box right here. >> reporter: these little boxes hidden in the mall pinpoint your location, so when you pass by your phone pengs, possibly with a discount offer. but you don't feel an invasion of your privacy, they knew you were dropping by that store right at this moment? >> i like it. some people may not leak it. that's just me, i do. >> reporter: if you hate lugging bags around the mall with the app, your items can be delivered if you live monita. >> for a small fee, they will be delivered on your schedule. >> reporter: cost? >> $5. >> reporter: for everything? >> for everything.

>> reporter: malls making it a little easier this season. nbc news, mcclain, virginia. >> if they can park the car for you, too. >> spot times. >> that would be great. >> take shopping to a whole new level. >> absolutely, cule your sit-down with saevenlt yeah. coming up next, martha and giada are taking over the orange room an answer shopping your last turkey question. final survival guide for all those calories you will consume, two things that you ought to do this morning. ♪ it's all about the base ♪

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>> announcer: "nbc10 news" starts now. good morning. and happy trg. i'm tracy davidson. let's get your "first alert" forecast from meteorologist brittney shipp. >> good morning and happy thanksgiving. a cold start to the morning as we head through the rest of the afternoon. cloudy skies in cape may as the sun is rising there. we're at 37 degrees in mount pocono. 33 degrees in philadelphia. temperatures at 37 degrees in wildwood. our average for this time of year, 52. but today, only warming to 41. still cold as we head into tomorrow. tracy. >> well, many people are doing their thanksgiving traveling this morning because of yesterday's snow. the winter storm caused hundreds of cancelled flights at philadelphia international airport. nearly 170 flights were scratched. but we just checked and all the flights are on time. you might still want to check your airline before heading to the airport.

another place that's busy today, 30th street station. question just checked with amtrak. right now, services running as usual. septa is on a holiday schedule. a thanksgiving tradition in philadelphia, going strong this year. you know the deal at cacia bakery. people show up and they cook the turkeys until early afternoon. they pick them up and they're golden brown, awesome. and the philadelphia's annual thanksgiving parade will step off at 20th and it will have floats and santa in the parade. don't forget the macy's day parade in new york. that fun begins at 9:00. you can watch it all right here on nbc10. i'm tracy davidson. we'll have another local update in 25 minutes. you can always get realtime news updates and weather updates especially while you're traveling at nbc10.com. back to the "today" show.

thanks for watching. happy thanksgiving.

it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, the ultimate thank you. >> i want to thank the teen of yours that helped save my son's life and thank them. another mom's mission a decade in the making. >> oh, good grief. >> plus, getting the gang back together. we will take you inside the making of the brand-new "peanut's" movie. martha and jad zsa is in the kitchen with last minute thanksgiving tips for your feast. today, november 27th, 2014.

♪ ♪ >> i want to say hi to allpy friends and family in florida. >> happy thanksgiving to our friends in the university of minnesota. >> happy thanksgiving to lincoln, illinois. >> we are thankful for our family in ba harbor, maine. >> happy thanksgiving to all our friends and family in virginia! [ music playing ] >> hello, welcome back on this beautiful thanksgiving morning, a little group out here, it's in the 30s, a warm crowd, people getting ready to head to the macy's thanksgiving day parade. >> this is the cool part of the tradition. a lot of people come down to our plaza first, then they walk over to the parade. that's where matt and savannah are at the finish line in herald square. good morning. >> we come up to our perch here, above the finish line, we get a great view of all the action,

including now, sting and the cast of "the last ship" are rehearseing 30 yards to our right here. sting is taking part in that in december for about five weeks. >> we have a lot of shows that will check off the parade. honeymoon in vegas. peter pan live, it will be on live a week from today on nbc. we will see a number from that musical as well. we are looking forward to it. >> it's starting to fill up on the bleachers here on the side of macy's, there thereby 3 money 5 million people lining the parade route up and down the west side of manhattan. it's starting to get exciting. starting to get the broadway shows in full gear we will get going in a little while. >> you want to tweet, use the #macy's parade. these are real flowers. they're not fake. >> and willie, stop text

shopping. >> we are doing a lot of text shopping, all right, guys, thanks. coming up here, martha and giada will be back with more cooking advice, including martha's tips for smooth, creamy gravy. >> first a look at the top stories. >> good morning to you, millions of americans are on the move this thanksgiving day. but travel has been tough for those dealing with bad weather in the east coast. stephanie gosk has the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, chanel. good news for people that have to travel. they are cheesecake i tataking the airports. yesterday was such a mess. >> that nor'easter that blew through wreaked havoc on people, there were 700 or so, cancelled. people were clogging roads because of that bad weather.

aaa is saying there were more people on the roads because gas prices have fallen and the economy has gotten better. so those people found some frustrations. if they're on the road, things are in good shape. i ran into nbc's lester holt. back to you, chaenel. >> he has a lot of planning, he is going to california. i think. >> chicago. >> chicago, then california. that's it. tensions remain high in ferguson, missouri today. there were far fewer protesters on the city's snowy streets following the grand jury decision not to indict the police officer in the shooting death of michael brown. the dispatch reports two men were indicted last week on charges allegedly planning to bomb the gateway arch. the men are accused of killing prosecutor michael mcauliffe and ferguson police chief tom jackson. video released wednesday of tamir rice proves a rookie police officer was wrong, he

shot no more than two seconds after his patrol car drove up to a city park after they received a 911 call about someone with a gun. rice was holding a non-leal that pellet gun. the faa says small encounters with drones are soar shopping. pilots and air traffic controllers have alerted the agency to 193 incidents so far this year. many close calls happened during takeoffs and land shoppings. today, chicago police are looking for clues into the latest case of smash n grab. the latest video shows thieves using a van to smash through the store's front doors, moments after the break-in, as many as 20 people swarmed the store. they cleared the shelves of high end jeans and jackets. they made their get away later, leaving the van behind. police did not put a price tag on the stolen goods. it's not only people gobbling up the holiday today, these lemurs at the zoo are

chowing down, the turkey was an imitation paid from biscuits, sweet potato pie and green beans, the table manners were pretty good, too. let's get a check of the weather with al on the morning route. >> good morning, chanel. we are joined by the pham lus adina manziel, who is having a wonderful time on broadway. you just released a holiday album called "holiday wishes." it is wonderful. >> thank you very much. >> we have a kid friendly version with michael buble. >> it was fun doing the duet with michael. >> reporter: you grew up on long island. is this the first time you will be in the parade? >> it's not because i have been in broadway shows. we get to perform over by macy's. when i was a kid, we came in one

time, my dad worked in the garment section, that was as close as we got. >> reporter: kind of full circle for you. >> yeah. >> l. >> reporter: what are you thankful for in. >> for my son, my boy walker. he's five-years-old. i'm thankful because he gives me a lot of perspective and keeps me in the moment. thank you for this year i have had. i have been around a while. >> reporter: but with "frozen" and "let it go." it really is. congratulations. >> thank you so much. >> reporter: addy that manziel. >> happy thanksgiving, everybody. >> reporter: let's check out what is going on as far as your weather is concerned. for today, again, we got the parade going -- sponge bob! we love sponge bob. a few flurry, temperatures in the 30s. wind chill shopping in the upper 20s, light winds, no big problems. icy mix along the atlantic states. heavy rain and snow, some making its way into central california

tomorrow as you are out shopping, beautiful weather on the east coast friday. great lakes snow, more rain and snow in the pacific northwest, into central california. southern tier states looking spectacular, temperatures a little on >> happy thanksgiving. we are going to stay below average today. cloudy and cold conditions. temperatures will range between 37 and 42 degrees. we're going to stay cold as we head into your friday. sunny skies for us as we end the week here. then pushing into the weekend. 41 degrees on saturday. clouds increase by sunday. 55 degrees. mild conditions which will stick around through your monday. then we track our next chance of wintry mix on tuesday. and that's your latest weather and we are getting excited here, central park, they've already brought thomas the tank engine. he's out if line getting ready. back there you got snoopy all

ready to go. the diary of a wimpy kid. >> it's a balloon-a-pa whether ooza. we can't wait. >> we have a young lady that saw al and matt at universal studios at one direction last week. >> yes. >> you want to say hi to al. did he make your dream come true? >> yes. i saw mat. i saw alan. >> let's tell the truth about this. we said, who did you come to see? matt who else? al, my name didn't even register. i want you to know i'm not offended. >> it's your birthday, so happy birthday. >> happy birthday, emily, thanks, for coming out. >> coming up on trend shopping, it was in my eye, one girl's adorable explanation for taking scissors to her own hair. >> so good. >> it would not be crazy without cranberries and sauce.

martha and giada show you the right way to make the gravy. and more of the stars the floats the balloons you will see if less than an hour at the 88th macy's thanksgiving day para pay attention because winning black friday actually starts thursday at 6pm with the 1-hour guarantee. get top gifts at low prices guaranteed in time for christmas. plus, hundreds more items at black friday prices. then at 8pm even more items unlock at crazy low prices. and it's still thursday! then on friday, between 6am-12pm, get 30% off select items from top brands and departments. black friday on friday!? crazy! so get to walmart thursday. and just never leave. black friday starts thursday at 6pm. plan yours at walmart.com we have a serious hairball issue. we clean it up, turn around, and there it is again. it's scary. little bit in my eye. [ michelle ] underneath the kitchen table, underneath my work desk, we've got enough to knit a sweater. [ doorbell rings ] zach, what is that? the swiffer sweeper.

the swiffer dusters. it's some sort of magic cloth that sucks in all the dog hair. it's quick and easy. pretty amazing that it picked it all up. i would totally take on another dog. [ kevin ] really? ♪ [ kevin ] really? ♪hark how the bells, sweet silver bells, all seem♪ ♪to say, throw care away. ♪from everywhere, filling the air♪ chex party mix. easy fifteen-minute homemade recipes you just pop in a microwave. like chocolate caramel drizzles. happier holidays. chex party mix. new dove body wash with at one breakthrough formula. just one shower gives you softer smoother skin. my skin is really silky smooth. new dove body wash. softer, smoother skin after just one shower. you need healing., new vaseline intensive care

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nice clothes? not on her list. what these kids want, your kids have... their health. at st. jude children's research hospital, we're fighting for kids who aren't as lucky as yours. the discoveries at st. jude can help save children close to you. our treatments are used in hospitals all across america. thanks to our research, st. jude has the world's best survival rates for the toughest childhood cancers. and no family ever pays st. jude for anything. our discoveries today could save a child you know, tomorrow. so if you have healthy children, give thanks. give thanks. da las gracias. give thanks. give thanks for the healthy kids in your life. and give to those who are not. go to st. jude dot org or shop wherever you see the st. jude logo.

back at 8:13, let's get you started with water happening today. >> today on average the adult is going to consume about 3,000 calories, 229 grams of fat in just one meal. so how can you avoid that thanksgiving slump? here are three things you need to know, first they say you should eat breakfast. it seems counterintuitive, it slows down the metabolism and enl encourages overeating, next, eat slowly, apparently it takes 20 minutes to do this. experts advise, putting the fork down between bites. we often confuse hunger with 31st. drink plenty of water right before the big peel and wine does not count. >> i don't want to do any one of

those. i am putting on sweat pants and eating until i can't eat anymore. you know what i mean, it's only one day. >> other on those lists was don't go back for seconds. ha! ha! >> that's what we live for. >> i want more, i'm full, but i can't stop. >> go for it, one day. sooner or later, it happens to every parent, that time when your kids no longer think your jokes aren't any funny. >> what? >> for the president, that time is now. he is pardoning the turkey the audience delighted in his turkey jokes. most of the audience, i should say, his daughters sasha and malia, not so impressed. >> today i am taking an action fully within my legal authority to spare the lives of two turkeys, mack and cheese from a terrible and delicious fate.

come on, girls. you want to pet them? >> no. >> head lean for this story the obama girls could not be more bored with their dad. >> aww. >> isn't this every parent, every teenager. >> right now, it's happening. i have an 11-year-old, so. >> you don't want to fake it. you don't care, you are over it. >> we're not funny or cool. i'm over it. as you know, matt, savannah and al have been giving us a preview of macy's thanksgiving day parade all morning long. here is what the parade used to look like in some of its earlier years. this is the first photo back in 1924, captain nemo i guess before that and back then, they used to release the balloons into the skyline at the end of the parade. i know. >> we doan won't do that again. >> that sounds awesome. >> the a. p. releasing these

photos, by the way, showing all the action over the last couple of years, for the first parade, apparently 10,000 people showed. now they're expecting 3 million. >> they don't have as to worry about flights. >> a great tradition. i have the great story i think the video of the morning. >> of the day. >> a toddler in the u.k., a two-year-old, decided to cut her own bangs, they call them fringe as you will hear. her dad confront of thes her about it. little tulula is not sorry she did it. >> why did you cut your hair in. >> i cut my fringe, they were being in my eyes. >> right. so you kit off yourself. you didn't see this happening? so you didn't stop it? >> i love it. this is the video of the day, now she has that mullet going

on. >> it's a good explanation. hair in your eyes is the worst. did you ever do that? >> no, all my barbie dolls had speaked hair. >> i think a lot of us did that, you cut the bangs too short. you didn't do that? >> i didn't do my own, cutting the bangs, i know. >> it's never straight. >> oh, i also love the sister, too, did you see anything in. >> no, no. >> probably watched it, too. i love it. >> that is what's trending today. now to a special story that show what is today is all about the mom who spent the past 84 tracking down an thanking the medical workers who saved her baby boy after a horrific car crash. nbc's tom costello has their story. >> reporter: if life is measured in joyful moments. >> happy birthday, eli. we have to show this red hair. >> reporter: the day eli was born was pure magic for kelly

and a.j. >> that is just amazing. >> i can't wait to see a.j. be the best dad in the world. he will be that. >> reporter: three month later, their life changed. a.j. killed instantly, kelly barely hurt, air lifted with eli, who suffered a traumatic brain injury. doctors warned if he lived, he may never walk or talk. >> i want to find the team of heroes that saved my son's life and thank them. >> reporter: ten years later, kelly has been on a mission. >> hi, i'm kelly. and you are susie? >> yeah. >> to r. >> reporter: to thank each nurse, each flight crew member at arnold palmer hospital for children. >> you were the first doctor that believed in us an believed in me and that there was a solution to get better. you were just such an important part of saving his life. >> reporter: once more, she's been documenting all of it on

camera, for what she calls the thank you project. >> you don't think about it on a daily basis, you know. >> i never have been thanked. so. >> reporter: a singer/songwriter, kelly wanted to do much more than thank her heroes. >> it would be such a privilege if you would come to our party so we can honor you. >> reporter: so on a warm night in orlando, they all came together to celebrate each other and eli. >> but also wanting to tell them the rest of the story, that eli is alive. he's walking, he's talking, and he's showing tons of emotion an he's a joy. >> reporter: kelly has since remarried and the new husband adopted eli, who still suffers from the effects of the accident. but in many ways, he is a form normal ten-year-old. >> this message is for everyone to know you can go through a tragedy and come out okay. >> it's a privilege to have you all in my life. >> reporter: finally, it was

time for kelly to show her thank you documentary for the people who made it. for the critical care manager, it was over we-- overwhelming. >> you realize, this is what i needed to do. >> this is where you need to be? >> kelly says a.j. would be so proud. >> we don't choose tragedy. we can choose how to respond to tragedy. i did not want to let that tragedy rob eli and i of life. a life saved and lived. for "today" tom costello, nbc news, orlando. >> what an incredible story. hardly a dry eye. >> if you never stayed at the hospital, the nurses are priceless, the women and men overnight. >> they don't get paid enough. >> a thank you project. there you go. over to you.

our countdown to thanksgiving, officially at zero. "today" is here, martha stewart and giada are cooking up a feast. great to see you. >> hi. >> i say the coolest thing youwatch walk in, martha and giada, endoor kitchen, it's incredible. >> i am about to learn from you. let start with the gravy. water your approach? >> the turkey is out of the pan. the nice little drinkings are in the bottom. we have already powered off alternate or butter. >> that dark part is the good part of the gravy. those are the juices. so if you can use a separator like this, watch. this goes right in. deglaze the pan with white wine. >> martha, do you cool that to put it in there faster? >> you don't have to be, the gadget is so handy. i love this little gadget. so then you bring that to a boil. >> okay. >> and keep straip scraping. you want to do that, you want to

scrape? while i add a little bit more wine. i am raising the temperature and wine is important. i think it makes a really good gravy. >> a good one, right? >> make a slurry, either flour or cornstarch in cold stock or cold water. use a bottle, a jar, my mother used a mustard jar. that was her slurry, so this will prevent lumps, because you have dissolved the starch, the thing that will thicken the gravy. if you want gluten free, use cornstarch. >> you sake it up. >> you add this, this will thicken that beautiful gravy. >> martha if by chance you walk away or something happens you watch the football game and you get lumps, can you possibly, i know you look at me, can you put it in the blender? >> a australianer. >> what if you don't have a strainer, they have blenders, can you just stick it in the blendish? i do. >> you can, i don't know if it will work.

>> it works. >> then you dirty a blender. >> just saying, if you don't want lumps in the gravy. >> then you add a little noise turkey stock. when you start you use the gibblets, all in with a lot of vegetable, onions, garlic, carrots, celery in a pot full of water and make a stock. >> are you not happy? >> i do it, she talks. >> i am not telling you to do anything. >> no, no. >> you are cool. >> see, thank you, mar that, i appreciate that. >> he is col, done you think it's a little easier with a whisk? >> no, i don't care, you can use a whisk, a spoon. >> it smells great. >> season with salt and pepper. it will get a little thicker while it cooks. let it cook down a little bit. then put it in the gravy boat. giada, what are you making?. >> my version of an italian

mustada. a little cinnamon, ginger, anise, apple cider vinegar and sugar to sweeten it and i take all the dried cranberries, fill them in here, you let it cook down 15 to 20 minutes. you end up with something like this which i love serving with turkey with chicken with just about anything, it's good, right? >> mustard seed. >> mustard seed. you can use any fruit you like. >> i love that. >> take it home. >> i'm taking it home. i have no fly home. i'm taking it home. >> she is flying home, doing thanksgiving on the west coast. >> how many people will coming to your house? >> not that many, i think it's six, six or eight. >> how many are you having? >> 32. >> we have seven, five more people. >> oh my god, martha does always win. >> the restaurant is great? >> it's great. we are having our first thanksgiving today. so i'm really excited. >> ladies, thank you, you will be back preparing favorite side

dishes. now we go to al along the parade route. hey, al. >> reporter: hey, guys, how are you doing? good morning. 8:26 on your thanksgiving morning. we're off to a chilly start. let's get your first alert forecast with brittany. >> happy thanksgiving. we are off to a cold start. it's going to be a cold thanksgiving day. we'll see cloudy skies for the rest of the today, as well. there's a live like at the poconos. we have another realm of on light snowfall this morning. but everything is clearing up, except for the clouds and temperatures to start off your morning here. by 9:00 a.m., we will still be in the mid 30s. 36 degrees. by noon, only 39. by 4:00 p.m., we're dropping right back down. 37 degrees. our daytime highs today will stay in the low 40s.

chris. >> people are bundled up and ready for the thil philadelphia thanksgiving day parade. a live look at the museum of art. this is one of the greatest places to see the parade wrap up if you can get a step on the seats. of course, santa will be making his big appearance before his heavy workload gets started. the parade is in its 95th year and is considered one of the oldest in the country. another holiday tradition, the annual thanksgiving day dinner for military personnel and homeless veterans aboard the uss new jersey. the men and women will get a turkey dinner on board the ship, organizing a chanced to give back. today, you can get a first look at the christmas village in the park. today and tomorrow are preview days. the open air market offers gifts and decorations from around the world. we're back in 25 minutes with another update.

[ music playing ] >> it's 8:30 now on this thanksgiving morning, the final preparations under way now for the thanksgiving parade, we are t-minus 38 for the 88th edition of the macy's parade in the plaza, people going to see the parade. people come here first. >> that's right. >> that's exactly right. we will take that. >> by the way, that was a little

rehearsal of peter pan, which one week from today you whether see it live here on nbc. >> i'm excited about that. coming up, martha and giada have covered the turkey, they move on to another star at the thanksgiving table. the side dishes. we all love those. >> how about smokey candied carrots. >> first a final check in with al. al. >> hey, guy, thanks so much. boy, you did that first on the "today" show. >> it's an amazing year. thank you for letting me kick et all off on the "today" show. it was a good time. >> you performed before with your brothers, this will be the

first time performing together. >> i have been doing it ten years almost, which is hard to believe. it's like starting over, getting to be back at the parade seven years later on my own, it feels really good. >> reporter: after the parade, how are you celebrating thanksgiving? >> i'm going to head up to rhode island, actually, go spend some time with my family who flew in and hang out. eat way too much food. >> reporter: there you go. you did put on 15 pounds of muscle. you are solid, my friend, hanging out with park wahlberg. >> i will cheat a bit today and have too much turkey and other things. it will be good. >> reporter: you are performing on the sea world international, happy thanksgiving, my friend. all right, let's check your weather, see what we got for you as you get ready for your weekend, maybe traveling back, for today, we are looking for an icy mix in the northern plains, wet weather, lake effect snow making its way with that clipper in the great lakes, for tomorrow, we expect to see more snow around the great lakes.

the rain is going to make its way into central california tomorrow into the pacific northwest. that's good fuse, they needed. cool, but sunny, on into florida. 71 in miami tomorrow. that's chilly, yeah, not as cold as toronto when you are >> happy thanksgiving. we are going to stay below average today. cloudy and cold conditions. temperatures will range between 37 and 42 degrees. we're going to stay cold as we head into your friday. sunny skies as we end the week here and pushing into the weekend. 41 degrees on saturday. clouds increase by sunday. 55 degrees. mild conditions, which will stick around through your monday. then we track our next chance of wintry mix on tuesday. >> reporter: all right. >> that just about does it for

me. get ready. guy, happy thanksgiving, one of the things i am thankful for, working with uday in, day out. i love you. >> enjoy the parade, we'll see you along the route in a few minutes. now to our ongoing, thanks, and giving, highlighting st. jude's children's hospital, today, jenna bush hager is here with another wonderful story. jenna, good morning, happy thanksgiving. >> happy thanksgiving. just a couple of months ago the young patients at st. jude's were surprised by a very special person. the first lady of the united states, michelle obama. >> we're so exciteds to meet the first lady, mrs. michelle obama. >> reporter: the halls of st. jude are often filled with surprises, but on this day the kids got to share their hopes and dreams with someone very special. >> it's my number one goal, get done with this, be good at

school. >> we should hire him. you want an internship at the white house? >> i'll take. >> reporter: shelves hoping to raise the spirits of these great fighters and raise awareness about the ground breaking medical work at st. jude's children's research hospital. i think it's really good to be able to highlight the great work that's going on here. >> st. jude's strooets treats some of the youngest case, devin had the hard hitting question he courage usually asked the white lady. >> in the white house, do they have a secret stash? >> a secret stash of what? if i told you, then it wouldn't be a secret. that's highly classified information. >> reporter: last christmas, devin was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma. >> neuroblastoma is a maclig

nant tumor the chances for a cure are much less than a younger patient. >> he's a part of a pilot study at st. jude hoping to boost current survival rates from 50%. in the last year, he has made his mark with the nurses and doctors here. he is lovingly referred to as the king. >> why do they call you the king of st. jude? >> because i rule this place. >> you rule this place? you many et the first lady, it seemed like she took an instant liking at you? >> yes, she was one of the best days of my life. >> it was one of the best days of your life? >> yes. >> reporter: the answer to that very important question, truth be told, it's so classified, devin wouldn't tell me. she whispered in your ear. what did she say? >> i can't tell you. >> reporter: after the cameras are rolling, would you tell me? >> no. >> reporter: it seems like the

king at st. jude left an impression on the first lady of the united states, nancy reagan, hillary clinton and my grandmother barbara bush have also visited st. jude. >> what a wonderful kid, thank you so much. marlow thomas is st. jude national outreach director. good to see you. >> thank you. >> this is an important story with a tough cure rate. you are doing a pilot study on kids like devin. >> that's what st. jude does it has a 50% survival rate. it's a tough cancer, a solid tumor and solid tumor in kids. we are doing a solid study, testing, whether to put chemo therapy with immunotherapy with killer cells an created an anti-body on our campus. we have our own manufacturing system which nobody else can do. if we can get this all to work toke, we can make a headway into neurocomblaftoma. it's proven to be less toxic or painful. we are excited about it.

this is what st. jude's does. we hope to get it to the place to share it with the rest of the world. >> meanwhile, we got exciting fuse the first lady of the united states invited those kids to visit her at the white house coming up. >> isn't that great? >> so cool. >> nobody every pays at st. jude, children come there from all over the country, or the world, they don't pay for travel or housing or treatment, anything. it's not a charity hospital. rich and poor come. the most important thing is we are doing studies nobody else is doing to find out how to cure some of these really difficult diseases. >> another great story from a remarkable place. >> happy thanksgiving. >> good to see you. just ahead, we will head back up to the kitchen for martha and giada's ultimate sides, next, meet the voice behind the famous characters in the new peanuts movie so many are excited about. first, this is "today" on nbc.

. >> back now at 8:40. snoopy set to make his appearance at the macy's thanksgiving day parade. he is getting ready to bring charles schultz characters to the big screen. his son craig is a writer and producer on the peanuts movie, good morning to both of you. i'm so excited. i love peanuts. so 'generations of us have grown up with peanuts. why now for a new movie? >> why now? the reason we are doing it now is a couple reason, no. 1 is a tribute to my dad. people for generations have loved peanuts. the second reasons is to our fan base, they have been so loyal all these years, we have the die hard fans. we also want to bring on the new fans that haven't grown up with peanuts like we all did. we are anxious to show them with a new feel. lastly, because of technology,

we waited quite a few years to do this the last was in 1980. we had a lot of people come to us. now is the time. you can see the characters, how beautiful they are, the animation is spectacular. >> by the way, we mentioned, we will see the kids behind the voices in just a minute. we will seep them hiding back there a little longer. you said it was a dream come true as a producer. you said the equivalent of your "star wars." how much was about peanut and the gang? >> my entire child walls formed by it. i was an only child every night i had to have a peanuts paperbacks to put me to sleep, not because i was bored. it was so reassuring from it. i feel half my vocabulary came from charles schultz. >> craig, what do you think your dad would think of this? i know your own son is working on it as well, it's a family affair. >> it's a cool thing. we call the movie the peanuts

movie by schultz, the reason is it's my dad, myself, my son brian and we have a great grandson micah who will be a voice of one of the characters. so four generations, with our partners that put this together. >> i love the animation. all right. kids, are you ready? >> here we go. >> we want to introduce you to the kids with the iconic characters. all right. this is the peanuts gang. let's start with you, noah, you are playing charlie brown. >> yes. >> hundreds of kids tried out. give me a line. >> good grief. >> perfect. you nailed it! are you a huge peanuts fan? >> yeah, i love peanuts. >> it's great. hadley, you are playing lucy, she is a little bossy? >> yes. >> are you bossy? >> i'm not bossy, but she's persistent and she stands up for what she believes in, i think i

am like her in those ways. >> you sound just like her, you are persistent and strong is there thank you. >> alex, you are playing linus. he always brings his security blanket. did you have something you used to carry around with you as well? >> no, but i am like linus in other ways, they tell me i think of the bigger picture and charlie brown is picked on. >> you cheer them up. good for you. this is some of the great kids, all the kids over here, take a look around again. you guys, i can't wait. i got another year to wait for this movie. november, 2015. >> when it comes out, it will be huge. >> thank you so much. fantastic. "the peanuts movie" as you mentioned will be in theaters not until next november 3rd, next year. coming up next, top dog, one of the most incredible purple heart recipientings ever. first this is "today" on nbc.

welcome back to "today" on this great thanksgiving morning. a thank you to the men and women serving overseaings, also the animals that work alongside them. jenna has a story of a special purple heart recipient. >> yes, i met this amazing dog, luka has been on over 400 missions in iraq and yank. she's true hero. are you glad she is a part of your family? >> i am very glad she is a part of my family. >> reporter: like most kids, claire and michael willingham love their dog is there scratch her belly!

scratch it! >> reporter: but luka, a german shepard mix is not just a part of the family. she's responsible for keeping them together. >> she puts our lives if her hands. it's amazing to see how resilient whether she was able to pull through, whether the heat conditions, mortar attacks or iuds. >> reporter: luka used her impeccable smell to keep her trainer and fellow marines safe. >> ied forces, if you take a dog team, it's a good countermeasure, as long as he is trained, it's tough to beat. >> reporter: when staff sergeant willingham was reassigned, he took the job of finding a new owner seriously. without hesitation, he asked marine rodriguez. did you feel how much responsible knowing how much chris loved this dog when he

handed her over to his care? >> when he assigned me luka, i knew the expectations and i was responsible for the dopg. >> reporter: that responsibility was tested four months into their deployment in afghanistan. >> i saw a cloud of dust, an open explosion. >> her front left leg was badly hurt. >> i ran in, put a tourniquet on to stop the bleeding. i picked her up. we went to a monita tree line to get cover. >> reporter: treated like any injured soldier, she was medevac'ed to safety. her devoted handleer by her side. >> you saved luka's life. >> she saved mine many times. >> her leg had to be amputated. with a heavy heart, he shared the news with willingham. >> i sensed he let me down. >> that wasn't the case at all. his 26 actions the training he received, he runs up, he saved

luka's life. >> reporter: after a final homecoming mission, the three were reyou noticed. their story of loyalty and love is now the subject of a book called can the top dog." the author was moved by the connections she witnessed. >> there is no bond like the bond of a dog and handleer, actually. i think i love my dog so deeply and so much, and other people have that bond with their dog, but their bond, they say you can't get that magic. >> reporter: luka is now enjoying her well deserved retirement with the willingham family in southern california. whenever she gets the chance, she is thrilled to see the man who came to her rescue. >> luka, aww, good girl. she is a legend of a dog to me. >> she is a hero. she saved a lot of lives. >> reporter: a true hero to the men and women she protected and to the children that welcome them home. are you proud of her? >> yes.

yeah. >> good girl. >> so as you can see, luka has plenty of love to give. she still says in juan's room when she comes to visit. she serves as an ambassador for military working docs. she is a great comfort obviously to those who have sacrificed so much to our country. she is a really cute dog. i had a lot of fun with her. >> i love stories like that. thank you for bringing it to us. happy thanksgiving to you, my darling. >> we love you. >> "top dog" is out now. you can read an excerpt at today.com. we are back with more from martha and giada as you prepare. first this is "today" on

. >> we are wrapping up our thanksgiving piece with martha and giada. the turkey the cranberry sauce, now it's great for side dishes. you are combining mashed potatos and sweet potatos? >> a layer of well flavored buttery, i put a lot of cream cheese in my mashed potatos. a layer of that on top. then bake it. top it with five leeks. they have a little bit of flour and a pinch of cayenne.

don't get your fingers in there. >> it's really hot. >> a good tip. safflower oil. it will be delicious. giada, that salad is amazing. >> i am eating the chips, they're so good. >> trikalre salad, three different colors, you don't want to wait to the last minute to reheat everything or have everything in the oven or on the stove. >> you can do it now, set aside. >> make a dressing. i would wait to dress it at the last minute. okay. >> that's the holiday colors. >> it's room festive and fun. what kind of dressing? >> kale, endive,ry dridiculae. cream keyes, i'm sure martha would use maybe cream cheedz or something else.

>> i like italian. i love it. >> salt, pep per, blue cheese, you mix it together and toss it. i like to do a little. >> walnuts, bleu keys. figs, sweetness and stickiness. >> what about the pro scuitto. i make this at the restaurant like this, a smaller portion. it's very popular. >> it looks beautiful, let's go up front, see what the creations are. >> it looks beautiful. okay. oh my gosh, this is amazing! >> wow! >> is this ready for me to take, railro ready to go. >> giada wants a leg. >> on the plane when i go home, i'm taking her leg. >> fantastic, look how that turned out? >> that is gorgeous. >> both sides of the broccoli

the brussels and the cauliflower. >> there are plates over here, help yourself. >> few want to get started on those 3,000 camry, you might as well get started now. >> thank you for spending thanksgiving with us, trouble shooting as always. >> always fun. >> happy thanksgiving, everyone. 8:56. it's a chilly morning out there. a good day to stay in the warm kitchen preparing that food. >> absolutely. it's cold outside. temperatures staying in the high 30s today, low 40s. we saw snow earlier this morning

once again in the poconos. but light wind speeds atop the air marked buildings. you can see the flags moving. our temperature in philadelphia, 37 degrees. as you can see on orb radar, just a few lingering snow showers, but we are going to see dry and cloudy conditions on this thanksgiving day. >> and a lot of people are doing their thanksgiving traveling this morning. because of yesterday's snow. that storm caused hundreds of canceled flights, including nearly 170 at philadelphia international airport. but we've been checking and so much today all flights are on time. check with your airline before heading out to the airport. and in south philadelphia, it's going strong this morning. you know the drill at the bakery, people line up early in the morning with their thaw ed turkeys and customers return later in the afternoon to pick up their turkeys cooked golden

brown. at 8:30, here is a liech look at the philadelphia museum of art. one of the prime spots to watch the event here. the parade is in its 95th year and is considered one of the oldest in the country. we will see you back here at 5:00 p.m. this evening. you can always get the latest news and wh at nbc 10.com. up next, the macy's thanksgiving day parade. have a great holiday.

♪ ♪ new york, new york it's a helluva town ♪ ♪ we've got one day here and not another minute to see the famous sights ♪ ♪ we'll find the romance and danger waiting in it beneath the broadway lights ♪ ♪ but we've hair on our chests so what we like the best are the nights ♪ ♪ sights lights nights ♪ ♪ new york, new york a helluva town the bronx is up but the battery's down ♪ ♪ the people ride in a hole in the ground new york, new york it's a helluva town ♪