good morning. the wild west. homes buried by rock and mudslides as a brutal storm slams california. across los angeles, daring rescues from the flood waters and even a tornado miles from downtown. where is the storm heading next? march on washington. after weeks of demonstrations, thousands head to the capital today to protest what they call police brutality. we are live with the latest. angelina jolie's very bad week. first nasty e-mails about her surface in the sony hacking scandal, now the movie star forced to miss the premiere of her new film "unbroken." >> i found out last night that i have chickenpox. so i will be home, itching and

missing everyone and i can't believe it. >> and she's not the only one feeling sick today. a lot of sony executives are reeling as well as they wait for more e-mails to surface. and "girl of a country song" hits number one as they mock the guys. ♪ how in the world did it go wrong ♪ >> now the boys of country are fires back. today's saturday, december 13th, 2014. ♪ we used to get little respect ♪ >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today," with lester holt and erica hill. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> welcome to "today" on a saturday morning. i'm lester holt. >> i'm erica holt alongside sheinelle jones and dylan dreyer.

there was debate. was he going to say december 13th, 2014 or 12-13-14. >> there it is. exciting. you get married on that day? >> lots of people get married today. tens of thousands of couples. it is not just memorable for you to attend the wedding, but tough to forget that anniversary. >> and a great day for a proposal. >> we will chat more about that later. >> looking forward to that. we want to start to the top story. the wild weather out west. miguel almaguer is in southern california with the latest for us this morning. miguel, good morning. >> reporter: erica, good morning. steady rain out here all day friday, but the damage came down in a matter of minutes. now the deinstruction could take weeks, if not months. this morning, much of como is

buried under rock and mud. nearly a city block full of destruction. >> i looked out the window and the street was like a river. >> reporter: it was just after 2:00 a.m. when this hillside gave way. first hours of rain, then the sudden slide. >> it was strange. it was almost surreal. like it is not really happening to me. >> reporter: windows blown out. rooms filled with mud. no time to think, just seconds to run. firefighters scramble to help the elderly. for most, this is all they have. >> it's terrible. >> reporter: first responders say it is a miracle no one died here. the boulders weigh over 1,000 pounds and stacked up to rooftops. across los angeles, friday was a day of rescues. in the river and on the roads, well over 100 accidents. rain pelted the city.

more during this storm than all of last year. it was the wild west. a tornado touched down not far from downtown. damage for blocks, an incredible sight. >> i just said, oh, lord, watch me. then boom. i got drenched. get in! >> reporter: now this weekend, a region drying up. for so many, the damage is just being tallied. >> horrible. really horrible. >> reporter: with the destruction in this community on this block at least in the tens of millions of dollars, we can expect to see more damage in the next couple of days as we see more rain next week. dylan. >> miguel, devastating pictures in the area and more rain is likely. especially as we go into sunday night for the bay area and that will push to the south. right now, we are getting a bit

of a break. you can see in the mountains and higher elevations still unsettled with scattered showers. the bulk of the storm has moved east. the rockies and down near phoenix is where we will see scattered showers. it is not too heavy. the storm weakened and it will have snow spreading across the rocky mountains. snow falling above 6,000 feet. we will see snow work into the northern plains, back through northern nebraska and south dakota. that into sunday evening. we will see rain on eastern side of it and stronger storms in monday. aspen with 6 to 9 inches. higher elevations. we could see stronger storms on sunday into monday, especially in the red area from parts of kansas right into central texas. this is where we could see not so much an outbreak, but isolated stronger storms with

tornadoes and wind gusts and large hail. that is what we will follow through sunday. lester. thank you, dylan. we want to turn to the looming deadline in washington where the republicans and sdem democrats are trying to hash out a deal to keep the government open. kristen welker has latest. >> reporter: lester, good morning. the arm wrestling continues on capitol hill. the senate not done considering the package to keep the government open after passing the bill late last night. the bill did pass in the house late thursday, but only after coalition of democrats revolted against the president refusing to back the bill. almost shutting down the government. democrats don't like this bill because it scales back big bank regulations and increases the amount of political contributions that wealthy donors can make. after arm twisting and officials and democrats, ultimately got on board to narrowly pass the bill

in the house. president obama on friday said the legislation represents compromise in the time of divided government. he noted this bill also funds health care and immigration. some many conservatives oppose. the best-case scenario is the senate hold the vote on sunday with the goal of passing the bill on monday, just in the nick of time to keep the government open. >> a busy weekend in washington. kristen, you are covering the protests planned in washington this weekend over the relation was the police and community. >> reporter: that is right. thousands of protesters are expected to descend on d.c. and new york and cities across the country. they are demanding in their words, justice for all. rallies organized by the action network. reverend al sharpton is hosting it. the naacp is also hosting. some are furious in the killings

of eric garner and michael brown. they are demanding the changes to the police departments across the country with the police disproportionately target men of color. protesters will gather in the plaza here and march to capitol hill. it will be an emotional day. families of eric garner and michael brown will be here. thank you. now erica. >> thank you. the issues continue at sony after the massive hacking scandal. leaked e-mails revealing thoughts they may wish to keep to them selves. no shortage of drama here. joe fryer has more. >> reporter: the cyber town. >> paralyzed hollywood. >> reporter: hack has exposed social security numbers and

movie star salaries. >> where do we go from here? >> reporter: 100 terabytes of stolen information. >> you would be reading that book from beginning to end for over a thousand years. >> reporter: the impact could be seen at "the interview" where no tv news cameras were allowed. but this scandal is spiralled into something larger than a film. >> the e-mail dumps from the hackers keep coming. when will it stop? >> reporter: the latest revelation published that george clooney wants to take on rupert murdock in the u.k. phone scandal. then the e-mail showing in "american hustle" jennifer lawrence was shown to make money on the back end of the movie's profit. >> it is hard on the studio because they are dealing with the universe of celebrities.

>> reporter: scott rudin and amy pascal have apologized for the insensitive e-mails in remarks over president obama. rudin called angelina jolie a minimally talented spoiled brat. a photo shows jolie and pascal running into each other after the e-mails were public. it is unclear what was said, but described awkward as some. for "today," joe fryer, nbc news, los angeles. >> probably not great for her to hear those words. last night, she released a video explaining why she will miss the new movie she directed "unbroken." take a listen. >> i found out last night that i have chickenpox. so i will be home, itching and

missing everyone and i can't believe it. >> senior film and media reporter is here with me. >> thanks for having me. >> if there is an upside to the chickenpox, she will not have to answer questions about the e-mail hacks. >> it is so much worse for the people at sony. >> let's look at amy pascal. is the apology she put out enough? >> there are a lot of questions in hollywood about that. the question is what do you do to contain the damage here? it's on so many different fronts. it deals with internal information leaking and internal information about budgets and salaries and also the private correspondence of the top executives. it is like they are playing a public relations whack-a-mole scenario. >> can she keep her job through

all of this? >> that has a lot of tongues wagging in hollywood. it is not clear if she will contain this damage. she was already in something of a vulnerable position because sony had just gone through a bruising fight with activists investor daniel lobe. waves of layoffs. she was seen as an executive as vulnerable. this increases that vulnerability. >> you talk about the other things leaked. there were apparently last night a couple of shoots were canceled that were supposed to be done with sony because of issues with payroll related to the hacking scandal. beyond amy pascal, how damaging is this to the studio? >> cyber security experts say this clean up and trying to contain this issue costs tens of millions of dollars. that's to say nothing about the kind of legal costs associated with it and the costs and damage to a brand that you then have to try to repair. so clearly all kinds of issues

and at the same time, you are running a multinational studio and as you can see, this kind of digital disruption causing all kinds of other headaches. >> talk about shifting the focus. there's another part of the story that we have been talking about at nbc news, that is the discussion of what to actually put out in terms of information. at the end of the day, these e-mails however insensitive or damaging, were still hacked and they were essentially stolen. how did you come to that decision? that is how decision about where the line is and what should be published and what should remain private? >> an excellent question. this is new ethical terrain for a lot of the news organizations. the fact remains as journalists, we often get information that nobody wants us to see. that's part of our job. in this case, we also don't want to be doing the work of the people who stole this information for them. embarrassing officials at sony unnecessarily. the problem is when this

information leaks, there's a broader public discussion that's taking place. we really have an obligation to our readers and to the public to, you know, be a mirror for that other discussion to engage with it and to also provide a journalistic framework and provide information that is fair and giving sony a chance to comment. >> brett, thanks for being here. >> thank you. >> we have breaking news out of afghanistan. sheinelle is following that. two american soldiers were killed overnight in afghanistan. after the convoy came under enemy attack passing a road up to the bagram air base. now to capitol hill where the senate will hold a rare saturday session. late last night, the senate postponed a vote on the $1.1 trillion spending bill until monday. the republicans led by ted cruz of texas are being accused of

holding the bill by trying to force a vote on immigration amendment. today, the senate is expected to pass a stopgap bill to extend government funding through next wednesday. back home, police in portland, oregon just arrested a 22-year-old gunman who opened fire outside a high school friday. at least three students were hospitalized in the rampage, believed to be gang-related. police say they stopped the suspect overnight and found the gun in his car. it looked out of a scene of an action movie on friday in atlanta. two police officers shot in an apparent home invasion. heavily armed s.w.a.t. teams launched a manhunt for one of two suspects captured along with an ak-47 rifle. the justice department has ordered another look at the death of an african-american high school student in north carolina. his death is ruled a suicide, but his family says there are too many unanswered questions.

nbc's pete williams has the story. >> reporter: the family of lynn lacy says he left home one night in august for a high school football game, but he never came home. his body was found hanging from a swing set frame in the predominately white trailer park in the north carolina town of bladenboro. investigators ruled it a suicide. his family says it doesn't add up the 17-year-old, youngest of four brothers, was not desk upon dent and hanged with a dog leash with a belt he did not own and shoes that did not fit him. local officials say their own investigation was thorough. >> the response in this case and the investigation is nothing short of professional and i'm proud to be part of it. >> reporter: now at the urging of the naacp, the u.s. attorney asked the fbi to look at the state investigation again. >> it takes a federal case to be made in order for something to

happen that is quite automatic in other cases. >> reporter: demonstrators planned to protest, but now they will celebrate the renewed investigation of a suspicious death. for "today," pete williams, nbc news. and a rocket launch went off overnight. officials say electricians worked through the extreme weather and trying to make sure that power was available for the launch of the u.s. defense satellite. the mission is classified. and finally, a baby orangutan born at the omaha zoo last month is on display. the baby believed to be a girl unveiled for the first time friday. female orangutans just give birth four times. the public will be invited to nominate names. you get a 2 for 1 special.

>> a baby orangutan once. the mom plops her on the back and the baby is chilling out. adorable. >> a face only a mother could love. it is a cute face. dylan is back with the rest of the forecast. yes, most of the rest of the country is going to enjoy a nice saturday. even where that storm was in california, it is moved into the rockies. the snow is going to be above 6,000 feet. high pressure in control elsewhere. we have foggy spots in the plains and a good saturday morning. we're off to cold start. northwesterly breeze feeling colder than the air temperature. up to 42 today. mixture of sun and clouds. quiet day. another quiet day on sunday. 46. above normal for this time of year. milder monday, 48. 50 on tuesday. might see a shower or two. by wednesday, bring back

sunshine, breezy. a high of 45 thursday. and that's your latest forecast. >> dylan, thanks. millions are hitting the skies this holiday season, there is a hiring push under way for new air traffic controllers. here is nbc's tom costello. >> runway 301. >> reporter: it happens more than 70,000 times each day. 14,000 air traffic controllers assuring 2 million of us arrive safely. the number of controllers on duty is falling fast. 30 years ago, president reagan fired striking air traffic controllers who walked off the job. >> they forfeited their jobs and will be terminated. >> reporter: now the 11,000 controllers hired to replace them are approaching the mandatory retirement age. >> there will be a large number of controllers leaving by their 56th birthdays. >> reporter: the faa is in

something of a hiring frenzy. 10,000 controllers in the next ten years. >> 965. contact departure. >> reporter: now the nation's aviation colleges are in high demand with students hoping to get a leg up before applying to the faa academy. qualities? someone who can multitask and think fast and remain calm. at dowling college, sasha hopes she can get the job. >> that will give me that upper hand when i go to class. that is what i have been dealing with the last few years. >> reporter: the faa requirements for a spot at the academy, applicants must be u.s. citizens and have a bachelors degree and pass background tests. depending on college or military experience, they in for 5 to 18 weeks in oklahoma city. then on to assignment of years

of on the job training. the money is good. new controllers start at $35,000 and up to $45,000 and climb. the job is rarely 9:00 to 5:00 and mistakes are difficult. for "today," tom costello, nbc news. coming up, what women need to do to keep their marriages together.

a controversial article posted on familyshare.com has been getting a lot of buzz with 5 million views. >> the title alone may raise eyebrows. it is "five ways you are unknowingly destroying your husband and killing your marriage." everybody has an opinion. sheinelle is in the original room.

>> the author katelyn car her has advice. here are the five ways we are destroying marriages. her words. number five, not speaking his language. speak plainly to him. on to number four, withholding physical affection. even though you might not always be in the mood, it is worth to give in when you can and spend that time bonding. mistake three, putting everything else first. the husband should be more important than career, talent, best friends and mom and children. now to number two. constant negativity. i love this picture. the number one reason women are destroying their husbands according to carmen, living outside what you can afford. no surprise. twitter users have responded in force. knock, knock, this is the 21st century. wake up women, you can live your life to the fullest.

tyler says this really goes both ways. five ways you are unknowingly destroying your husband and killing your marriage. what do you think about this? you can always talk to us. you can weigh in using the #orangeroom. lester and erica. >> i think that last one made sense. this goes both ways. a lot of outrage and things seem out of date, but there are little nuggets there that each part of the couple can take to heart. >> each one is important. >> i want to say absolutely nothing on this subject. that's how i stay married good morning. a cold one out there this morning. let's get the rest of the forecast from meteorologist michelle grossman.

>> it's a cold one. temperatures below freezing in many spots. it feels like the 20s in a lot of spots, too. let's look outdoors. looking at partly cloudy skies. mixture of sun and clouds. pretty looking day and quiet weekend. 36 in philadelphia. 32 in allentown. 32 in dover. 30 in atlantic city. northwesterly breeze in place. feeling colder than that 42. breeze sticks around on sunday. 48 on monday. plan on showers on tuesday. maybe the umbrella once in a while. by wednesday, quiet once again. temperatures in the mid 40s. less take a live look over 18th and arch streets in center city. this is where the foundation is being poured at the site of comcast innovation and technology center. crews will be out here through much of the day pouring 15 million pounds of concrete for what will be philadelphia's tallest skyscraper. matt delucia has been out there all morning long. we're getting progress reports from him throughout the morning. today will mark the final farewell for joyce craig.

the first female firefighter to die in the line of duty in philadelphia. family, friends, and fellow firefighters =sgmred last night for the first of two scheduled viewings at bachelor brothers funeral home in west oak lane. craig was the mother of two. she died tuesday battling a house fire in west oak lane. fire investigators said craig got trapped inso did basement of this home. they're trying to determine how the fire there started and what prevented craig from getting out of the house. the second viewing for joyce craig is set for bachelor brothers this morning at 8:00. the funeral will follow at 10:00. pennsylvania governor tom corbett has ordered flags be flown at half-staff in craig's honor. i'm rosemary connors. we'll send it back to the "today" show and then michelle grossman and i will see you back here in 25 minutes for another update.

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♪ we used to get little respect now we're lucky ♪ ♪ if we get to keep our girl in a country song ♪ catchy tune there back on a saturday morning, december 13th, 2014. that is the hit "girl in a country song" topping charts across the country. it comes with a little outcry from the boys of country. we will have more on that later. >> could it be because the boys of country are mocked in the song? >> perhaps, lester. >> cute song. a lot of friends out there for us to go meet in a bit outside on rockefeller plaza. nice to have them with us. a little chilly.

we'll focus on the positive here. we will hand out hand warmers. >> it is december. >> coming up in this half hour, if you are heading out for holiday shopping, don't head outdoors yet. mario armstrong is here to show you high tech ways to save you. and we will look at the hollywood blockbuster for reese witherspoon. and horse-drawn carriages. why is the mayor trying to get rid of them and what could replace them. we will get into that. we begin this half hour with a serious story on the search for a killer. in mississippi, a 19-year-old will be laid to rest after a horrific murder. a big murder mystery in a mall town. nbc's gabe gutierrez has the story. >> reporter: jessica chambers just graduated high school.

this morning, a shocked and grieving mississippi community is preparing for her funeral. >> she will not be at rest until her killer is caught. >> reporter: a week ago in panola county, police found the 19-year-old on fire near her burning car. the preliminary autopsy shows severe burns covered 98% of her body. her father said she was beaten and doused with lighter fluid. >> the only part wasn't burned was the bottom of her feet. >> reporter: police have not confirmed whether that message she whispered could lead them to the killer. so far, no arrests. >> this is a 19-year-old girl just beginning life. >> reporter: this horrific crime rocked the town and has residents wondering if the murderer is among them. police are trying to piece together her final hours searching for clues. in the nearby gas station, chambers is seen pumping bagas d

buying cigarettes. it is not clear what happened next. police are looking at her phone records and the man police are questioning is not a suspect. >> i was calling about the situation i did not know anything about. >> reporter: her sister who lives in texas is devastated. >> i have not seen her since july. and now i'll never see her again. >> reporter: she started a facebook page justice for jessica. begging any witnesses to come forward and also sharing memo memories of the young woman who loved cheerleading, but whose tragic death is as puzzling as it is disturbing. for "today," gabe gutierrez, nbc news. >> we have clint van zandt with us. a former fbi profiler. clint, good to see you. >> good morning, lester. >> this story is difficult to stomach. you have read about it. what is your hunch? is this someone who knew her or

a stranger? >> this is a small town, lester. 460 people. police department is going under the assumption that this was not a random crime. the victim had some way been targeted. so it looks like they got this small people and small town they have to go through and they out ought to be able to eliminate a group of people quickly. >> when you see this type of crime, you have to consider this is a person who has done something heinous before or is likely to do it again? >> it is the former, lester. this is somebody who committed a crime or who has a criminal background. the reason to burn a car, notwithstanding the victim, is to get rid of forensic evidence. everybody watches "csi" and they see fibers and hair and evidence and they realize from television, if you burn a car,

notwithstanding, if you burn a victim, you can get rid of that physical evidence. there was the terrible reason to do something like this, but it still takes a two-legged monster to do this to another human being. >> in fact, if it is someone who knew her, how easy or difficult would it be for police to piece together the crime? >> well, the forensic evidence will take a while. again, atf is working this. they are a great agency. they have the ability to recover linking physical evidence between this and especially tips from the community. this is a highly solvable crime. in a crime like this, lester, it has to be solved or the 460 people will never rest safely again. >> apparently, she uttered something to firefighters when they got there. how helpful might that be? >> this is not like the book or the movie where you hear the word "rose bud." in this case, i'm told that she

uttered the first name of a man, a male's first name. so what connection that has with the case, we don't know. surely, whatever name that is, those people in that community with that first name have already been identified. law enforcement can take their time and get the linking physical evidence and link that to a name and hopefully have their killer or killers because lester, there could have been two people even -- somebody to drive her to a location and perhaps somebody to drive another vehicle to take that killer away. so they may well be looking at not just one, but perhaps at least two people. >> clint van zandt, i appreciate your insight. thanks very much. >> thank you, lester. dylan is here with another check of the weather. >> thanks, lester. things are looking quiet across the country weather wise. this is the pattern you like to see. a nice ridge building in the jet stream. that will bring warmer temperatures from texas all the

way up into the northern plains, including north dakota where temperatures will be 15 to nearly 30 degrees above average. rapid city, 52 degrees. kansas city, 57. that is 14 degrees above average. on the east coast, we are right around average. that's some improvement considering how chilly it has been. norfolk, virginia, 54 degrees. same for nashville, 51. a bit chilly through florida. orlando is 70 today. elsewhere across the country, foggy in spots in the great lakes and upper midwest. we could end up with a foot of snow and scatter showers in phoenix where it is wet for a good saturday morning. i'm meteorologist michelle grossman. we're going chilly throughout the day. feeling colder than oir temperature. 40 to 43.

up to 42 today. mixture of sun and clouds. quiet day. another quiet day on sunday. up to 46. above normal for this time of year. monday, 48. 50 on tuesday. might see a shower or two. wednesday, sunshine and breezy. 46. quiet on thursday. a high of 45. have a great day. and that's your latest forecast. >> dylan, thanks. up next, mario armstrong is here to tell us how we can find deep up next, mario armstrong is here to tell us how we can find deep discounts for not to be focusing, again, on my moderate my goal was to finally get in shape. to severe chronic plaque psoriasis. so i finally made a decision to talk to my dermatologist about humira. humira works inside my body to target and help block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to my symptoms. in clinical trials, most adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis saw 75% skin

clearance on humira. and the majority of people were clear or almost clear in just 4 months. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. set a new goal today. ask your dermatologist about humira. because with humira clearer skin is possible.

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you know, you still have 12 days or so, but who is counting, to get those gifts. if you are figuring out what you need, you are in luck. mario has great apps to make your shopping easier and cheaper. mario armstrong is the digital expert with us. good morning. >> good morning. >> it seems overwhelming. i feel like the only thing i see in my inbox are special offers. i cannot remember where they are. you have price blink to keep track of the offers on our browser. >> on your browser. you download this on your safari or chrome browser. while you are shopping online, it can show you if you can get it cheaper elsewhere while you are shopping. i was looking for a tv on

amazon, but i found it other places for less. >> you did not mention internet explorer. is it not for ie? >> it is really best on chrome and firefox. >> retailmenot which has been around for a while. it is a good sign. >> whenever you can still be around and still talked about, that means something is working. that is one of the things. coupon codes work. they have over 50,000 retailers in the system for online as well as in-store purchases. people will hear that cha-ching in the app that means a deal nearby. if you are shopping online, do not not use retailmenot. >> i love a good coupon. my mom raised me well. next up, we need help finding the gifts. it is called ps department. does that stand for personal shopper? >> it does. personal shopper department. it does the work for you. you type in, erica, a text

message or take a picture of the item. i was looking for an item for my wife. basically, they communicate with me and they show me pearls i can buy through the app. they do the hard work. i can get on with life. >> i hope we are not ruining the surprise this morning. >> i bought her something else. >> you should get her those, too. there is another site called fetch that is maybe for all of us for every day items? >> ps department is good in fashion, this is more like every day stuff. i was looking for a gopro hero camera. they can search and find the best deal. they found one with free shipping. you type in a text or take a picture of something that you are interested in and they do the hard work. >> i'm feeling less stressed by the minute. you have tools to help us organize and track. the first one i love. centrallo. you make a list, but make sure nobody else is checking it twice. >> this is not scripted.

this is good. people, this is wonderful. this is a great to-do list for productivity, but for the holiday season. it is great for the shopping list. you don't have to mess around and say i didn't get that one thing. or if you are planning dinner or travel or who is picking up the groceries. you can share these lists with family members privately. >> it is like a google doc. >> you don't have real-time collaboration on it, but you can mark things off. >> it is shareable and password protect it so no small people with access to your computer can look things up. the other thing is slice. >> this is the destressor of the holiday. slice is a free app that basically tracks your online purchases so your receipts and shipping confirmation. everything in one app. you are no longer digging in an e-mail to return something.

in this case, i was buying some pots and i was looking for pots. i could actually click on that pot to see the e-mail confirmation in the app. i can see where it is shipping to and when it will arrive on time. >> i love this. >> especially if you are shopping for a number of people. did i make it work? >> yes. >> buy me something, people. >> i see what the you wimotive . up next, the book turned hollywood

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♪ eye of the tiger talk about a movie that is getting a lot of oscar buzz for reese witherspoon. for hundreds of women, the story has inspired them to carve their path in western wilderness. nbc's kristen dahlgren has more. >> reporter: somewhere between the california desert and the mountains lies something many are now searching for. >> i guess it humbles you. when you are out there, you realize you are so small among something so big. >> reporter: what started with the book "wild" is now a reese witherspoon movie. the woman struggling with

divorce and heroin addiction and loss of her mother. searching along the trail. the 2,600 mile path from along the canada border. for las vegas black jack dealer, linda blaney, it was instant. within months, she took off. alone. >> i found out that i'm the one person that makes myself happy. >> reporter: it's being called the wild effect. women tracing the footsteps of cheryl. >> i found this tree. >> we have a lot of calls from people who have said i've read the book and i really want to do it. >> i came across this. >> we are really stressing that people be prepared. >> you get on this trail here and head 16 miles up to cottonwood creek bridge.

>> reporter: at the hiker town. >> last year, we had 700 hikers. >> reporter: that is more than twice the year before. and the movie means that number could soon double again. we are about 400 miles from the beginning of the trail. mexico is back that way and canada is 2200 miles in that direction over diverse and danger year terrain. >> mosquitoes everywhere. >> reporter: as many have now found out, there is nothing easy about it, but for jessica reynolds who plans to hike the trail next spring, that's the point. >> such an empowering story for women. it will encourage women to find themselves on the trail. >> reporter: for her, it comes down to the words her mom wrote inside her well worn copy of "wild." >> to jess, love mom.

may you find your journey. >> reporter: now inspiring many to find their own path. for "today," kristen dahlgren, nbc news, along the pacific trail in northern california. >> a natural for you to do that. >> it may not happen. actually, i love the idea of getting back in touch. you realize the only person who can make you happy is yourself. lessons need to be taken away that don't need me to be sleeping outside with bugs. >> sheinelle mentioned the beach. >> a girls trip to the beach. >> i'm with you on that. cheers. still to come, holiday classic movies you want to catch with your family, but first this is "today" on nbc.

still to come on "today,"

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the shingles rash can last up to 30 days. talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your risk. that walmart has at unbeatable f prices. gifts and i'm going to show you how to wrap them. first we have the beats pill xl- now that's a tough one to wrap, melissa. i would just wrap it like a piece of candy! okay. next, for the kids, a zoomer dino! good luck wrapping that. this is when a gift bag comes in handy! well now, an amazing kitchenaid stand mixer. stumped you on this one, didn't i? nope. you're good. it's a gift. get to walmart for the top 100 gifts at unbeatable prices. or, order online for free shipping by christmas. more ways to christmas joy. good morning. i'm rosemary connors. just a few minutes before 8:00. a cold and cloudy start to the weekend let's get the forecast

now from meteorologist michelle grossman. >> good morning. we're off to a cold start. temperatures around the freezing mark in many, many spots. we are dry. we're seeing a little bit of sunshine. mixture of clouds and sun throughout the day. here's a live look. beautiful shot from the pocono mountains. 36 right now in philadelphia. 35 in allentown. 33 in lancaster. and below freezing in atlantic city. also in millville. just at 30 degrees. you factor in the winds it does feel colder than that. up to 40 today. breezy. milder on sunday. above -- up to 46 degrees. 48 on monday. then a spot, shower on tuesday before we dry it out on wednesday. 46. and quiet on thursday. by friday, mostly sunny, chilly, 43. today marks the final farewell for joyce craig, the first female firefighter to die in the line of duty in philadelphia. family, friends, and fellow firefighters gathered last night for the first of two scheduled viewings at bachelor brothers funeral home. craig died tuesday battling a house fire trying to rescue an elderly woman from the basement

of this house when craig became trapped i side. in just a few moments from now at 8:00, that second viewing for joyce craig will begin. her funeral service will follow this morning one person is dead after this car crashed into a tree, then caught on fire in philadelphia. these are pictures from the accident overnight at north 5th street and roosevelt boulevard. the victim's identity has not been released. police are investigating exactly what caused this crash. here is a bird's-eye view of 18th and arch streets in center city where the foundation is being poured at the site of comcast innovation and technology center. crews will be out here throughout the day pouring 15 million pounds of concrete. this, by the way, is one of the largest concrete pours in philadelphia history. i'm rosemary connors. now now back to "today."

good morning. it's saturday, december 13th, 2014. here are some of the stories we are following today. direct hit. a brutal storm slams into california. this morning, homes are buried after rock and mudslides. dramatic rescues caught on camera and a tornado near downtown l.a. march on washington. thousands expected to converge on the nation's capitol. and show stopper. angelina jolie announces she will be forced to miss the premiere of the film "unbroken." >> i found out last night i have chickenpox. so, i will be home, itching and

missing everyone and i can't believe it. >> this just days after she came face-to-face with a sony executive who slammed here in a now leaked company e-mail. ♪ it's been one week since you looked at me ♪ >> good morning on a saturday morning out on the plaza. >> i think they are. i'm erica hill alongside dylan dreyer. we have nice ladies behind us who did not forget the "today" toy drive. thanks for thinking of them. this is a big day, by the way. >> you will never forget the day you were here. >> the date? >> 12-13-14. >> and a lot of people getting married today hoping that one half of their union doesn't forget the anniversary either. >> could be an easy one to remember. a lot of people using it to mark a lot of special days. >> let me show you quickly. bring the camera over here.

today, her birthday. 12-13-14. you turn 15. that's awesome. your name? >> marissa. >> happy birthday. >> thank you. >> making people's day. >> i did that. lots to get to in this half hour. let's begin by heading in to sheinelle jones with more on the major storm sweeping through california and other headlines. good morning. people in california are waking up to the mess after the monster pacific storm overnight. nbc's miguel almaguer is on the scene with the latest. >> reporter: sheinelle, good morning. it took minutes for the damage to happen here, but it will take months to clean up. take a look at the pictures. mud slid into homes at 2:00 a.m. on friday filling up homes and living rooms and forcing people to scramble for their lives. they had minutes to get out. in some places, rock and debris is up to 20 feet deep.

it could take several months to clean up the damage here believed to be in the tens of millions of dollars. take a look at what hit us here in los angeles yesterday. a tornado. an incredible and rare sight here. the destruction tallied across the region. there were river rescues all day long, traffic was a mess, accidents up and down the west coast. the better news is there is a lot of damage and destruction here at our location, but much of the city is cleaning up. we will have a couple of days of dry weather before the next storm rolls in on monday, tuesday and wednesday. sheinelle. >> miguel almaguer, thanks. to washington d.c. where a massive crowd is expected at the march against police brutality. nbc's kristen welker has more. >> reporter: sheinelle, good morning. that's right. thousands of protesters are expected to descend on d.c. today as well as new york and cities across the country. they are demanding in their words, justice for all. the rallies organized by the

national action network. al sharpton founded n.o.w. and is an msnbc host. naacp and urban league are participating. protesters are furious over the killings of the two unarmed black men of eric garner and michael brown. they are protesting across the country with many arguing police disproportionately target men of color. in d.c., they march a mile long stretch to capitol hill. this is going to be an emotional day as well. the families of eric garner and michael brown and trayvon martin will headline the event here. back to you. >> thank you, kristen. the u.s. senate will hold a rare saturday session. late last night, the senate postponed the vote on the $1.1 trillion bill until monday. ted cruz of texas is being

accused of holding the bill of forcing the vote on immigration. today, the senate is supposed to pass a stopgap bill. overnight, a violent scene. a massive brawl broke out at the end of the year dance. responding officers were called in for back up and forced to use pepper spray to break up the crowd. at least three people were arrested. one of the most powerful women in hollywood is now under fire from civil rights leaders following e-mails exposed in the sony hack attack. sony co- chair amy pascal will meet with al sharpton next week for racist remarks in her e-mails about the president. some suggesting the comments may force her to resign. another e-mail slamming angelina jolie who issued this home video after she was absent from the

premiere of her film "unbroken." >> i found out last night that i have chickenpox. so, i will be home itching and missing everyone and i can't believe it because this film means so much to me. >> jolie says she sends everyone her love and hopes everything goes well in the upcoming press junket. guys. >> she looks stunning. i had them when i was 5. they were everywhere. >> i would have been scratching. >> her skin is all dewing and lush. thanks. >> dylan is out on the plaza with the check on the weather. >> good morning. we have been talking about today is 12-13-14. we have a golden birthday. are you turning 13 on the 13th. how excited were you for today? >> very excited. >> where are you from?

>> michigan. >> you get to celebrate in new york city. >> everything is coming up golden today. let's look at the weather across the country. out west with the nasty storm this week. it has weakened a bit. california is drying out. we have heavy rain in phoenix. the mountain snow is above 6,000 feet. mostly rain, but from casper, wyoming to colorado, we could have higher elevation snow. in the mid range elevations, we will have 3 to 6 inches. up to flagstaff and we start to push this system east into tomorrow. today, though, foggy spots in the upper midwest and great lakes and chicago. most of the eastern half of the country enjoying high pressure. temperatures warming up. we should be around average with a good saturday morning. i'm meteorologist michelle grossman. off to a cold start. chilly throughout the day.

northwesterly breeze feeling colder than the air temperature. winds out of the northwest t 5 to 15 miles per hour. up to 42 today. quiet day. another quiet day on sunday, up to 46. above normal for this time of year. milder on monday, 48. 50 on tuesday. might see a shower or two. and then by wednesday, we're going to bring back sunshine, breezy, 46. high of 45. have a great day. and that's your latest forecast. lester. >> dylan, thanks. later this afternoon, santa claus is coming to town. in fact, thousands are coming to town. a massive bar crawl known as santa-con. it has developed a reputation often for the wrong reasons. nbc's francis rivera has more. >> lester, they are getting ready. cities are bracing for a flood of santas despite the protests from the neighborhoods who say the st. nicks belong on the

naughty list. >> oh, no. >> reporter: you have seen one bad santa on the big screen made famous by billy bob thornton. how about thousands of them in the streets? that's right. 'tis the season for santa to take over around the world. >> ho, ho, ho. >> reporter: the biggest santa-con events happens today in the big apple. thousands dressed as santa, elves and reindeer will take part in events. >> it can be fun or a little sloppy. >> reporter: in the past, some of the santas have been jolly for all the wrong reasons. over indulging and vomiting in public and wandering from bar to bar and brawling on the streets. >> we said yesterday that we found out it is happening on saturday. we will hibernate.

>> reporter: thousands of new york residents are saying just stay home. banning alcohol on the subway. organizers responded by hiring no norman siegel. he is fighting for santa's right to party. >> they have a right to party as long as you are not violating anyone's rights. >> reporter: santa-con is big business. >> if st. patrick's day is the number one business day for bars, santa-con is second. >> reporter: the twitter handle is reminding party goers to be responsible. know your limit, santa. in addition to telling santa-con participants to remind their behavior, organizers are asking them to stay in the bars and off the streets in light of the

protests planned for today. lester. >> thank you. >> nice to see in your office. still to come, horse-drawn carriages are an iconic part of new york, so why is the mayor trying to ban them and what new york, so why is the mayor trying to ban them and what would replace them right after good morning everybody. new york, so why is the mayor we are about to make moreat would redeliveries right after to more places than anybody on earth. we have the speed. we have the technology. and we have the team. we made over 15 billion successful deliveries last year. 15 billion! football has a season. baseball has a season. this is our season. so it seemed like a gwell, we make it pretty easy. in fact, your appraisal should be ready, let's pull it up. now, how long do i have to decide on this offer? seven days, and we'll buy your car even if you don't buy ours.

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visited new york city, you may have taken a picture of the horse-drawn carriages in central park. soon, they could become a thing of the past. new york's mayor is sticking to an election promise to have them outlawed. nbc's kerry sanders is following that story for us. kerry, good morning. >> reporter: erica, animal rights activists believe these horse-drawn carriages are cruel to the horses and new york mayor bill deblasio agrees. new york's horse-drawn carriages from jane fonda and robert redford to kermit and miss piggy. >> a frog and a pig. looks like they are in love. >> reporter: like the gondola is to italy, the horse-drawn carriage is to new york. the strong reaction to bill deblasio's legislation calling

for an end to horse-drawn carriages. >> a cold day in hell before any of you touch one of my horses or my colleagues horses. >> reporter: animal rights activists say the carriages are cruel. >> forced to work when they are sick and old and tired and they are denied everything that is natural to them on a daily basis. they deserve better. >> reporter: far from new york, hidden in south florida, animal rights activists quietly hired car day designer jason winick to build a prototype replacement. >> you are amazed at what you can create. >> reporter: it took more than a year and cost more than $500,000 to build this one-of-a-kind electric touring car. >> that is fun. >> hard to resist. >> reporter: we were there on the first test drive along ft.

lauderdale beach and when it took its maiden drive in new york. >> it doesn't feel new. >> authenticity maybe in the way it shakes. >> reporter: behind the wheel, a test team from "car and driver" magazine. >> we love cars. tons of technology in them. we are new york city. the car is a compromise device down here. the horse really does something great running through central park. >> reporter: teamsters like ian says the mayor is on the losing side. >> don't believe a horse should pull the carriage. that is their opinion. it's wrong. >> reporter: and those strong opinions come from a strong voting block. the teamsters. if you didn't know, now you do. the teamsters began as those driving teams of horses making deliveries. erica. >> all the things you learn. kerry sanders, thank you. a big point of contention in new york city. >> it is serious. we are used to it. central park south.

>> when i first moved to new york, we lived by the stables. >> nice. >> think of all the movies that have the scene in new york city on the carriage ride. kermit and miss piggy. still ahead this morning, speaking of romance. save the date. thousands of couples are rushing to the altar today for one specific reason. we will tell you why but first this is "today" on nbc.

traditionally this is not a big wedding month, but this saturday in december is different. couples are racing to tie the knot because this date offers something special. here is nbc's rehema ellis. >> reporter: every date is memorable to them, but ceremonies today, guests may find weddings unforget able.

getting hitched today, 12-13-14, is the last sequential date for 20 years. the next time it is 1-2-34. january 2nd, 2034. today is a must-have for this chicago couple. according to the knot.com, 21,000 couples are scheduled to say "i dos" today making it more popular this month. and couples are carrying the theme throughout the day. >> from having a 12-13-14 on the save the date through invites and program and getting married at 12:13 p.m. and having 13 tables and 14 types of favors. >> reporter: not surprising, most of the weddings today are in the southern part of the country. people want to start their lives together in the sunshine. south florida tops the list of hot spots. vegas is betting on this date

with chapels thereoveri offerin specials. for this couple, they might set their sights now on a delivery date. for "today, rehema ellis, nbc news." still to come, classic hollywood movies you want to watch before st. nick comes. and the country's biggest hits. >> lester loves it. >> not everybody feels like lester. we will tell you why after these messages. we all love it. is a really big deal.u with aches, fever and chills- there's no such thing as a little flu. so why treat it like it's a little cold? there's something that works differently than over-the-counter remedies. attack the flu virus at its source

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before fibromyalgia, i wai kept on top of things. i was energetic. then the chronic, widespread pain drained my energy. my doctor and i agreed, moving more helps ease fibromyalgia pain. she also prescribed lyrica. for some patients, lyrica significantly relieves fibromyalgia pain and improves physical function. with less pain, i feel better. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior. or swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, muscle pain with fever, tired feeling or blurry vision. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. those who have had a drug or alcohol

problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. with lyrica i have less fibromyalgia pain and can keep moving forward. ask your doctor about lyrica. good morning. i'm rosemary connors. it's a few minutes before 8:20. bundle up before you head outside. let's get the forecast from meteorologist michellex@s:÷ gro.

>> it is cold. temperatures around freezing in so many spots. it feels colder than that with the breeze. partly cloudy skies. mixture of sun and clouds throughout the day. look from our cape may camera. 36 in philadelphia. 29 in mount pocono. 32 in millville. 31 in atlantic city. 36 in wildwood. feeling colder than that. feels like the 20s in many spots. by this afternoon, below normal. up to 42. breezy. mostly sunny on sunday, 46. breeze stays in place. by monday looking good. milder, lots of sunshine, 48. back to the 40s wednesday, thursday, friday. by friday, chilly, just 43. happening right now, here is a live look over 18th and arch streets in center city where the foundation is being set at the site of comcast innovation and technology center. crews will be out here throughout the day pouring 15 million pounds of concrete. this site, by the way, when the

construction is complete, will be the city's tallest skyscraper. today marks the final farewell for joyce craig, the first female firefighter to die in the line of duty in philadelphia. family, friends, and fellow firefighters gathered last night for the first of two scheduled viewings at bachelor brothers funeral home in west oak lane. craig was the mother of two. she died tuesday battling a house fire. investigators say craig somehow got trapped inside of the house in the basement. right now they're trying to der determine exactly how this blaze started and what prevented craig from getting out of the house. the second viewing is just under way, it started at 8:00. the funeral will follow at 10:00. pennsylvania governor come or bet ordered flags to be flown at half-staff. i'm rosemary connors. michelle and i will see you back here for a full hour of news at 9:00. have a good one.

♪ greetings from baltimore. >> it's my birthday on 12-13-14. >> i'm 40 and fabulous. >> happy birthday. >> we saw lester. >> i just turned 50. >> hey, west virginia, we made it. >> i'm on tv. merry christmas to me! ♪ back now here on december 13th, 2014. it is 12-13-14. how often will that happen? great morning out here on the

plaza. a chill cannot keep people away. they are helping us kickoff our weekend. still to come. >> like the pictures we put up there. >> always fun to see those shots. still to come, the song has the music world buzzing this week. poking fun at the men behind some of country's biggest hits and their take on the ladies. >> it makes me laugh. >> you are so cute, lester. then, it is hard to narrow down which holiday films to watch. this morning, we are looking at the ones you should have on your list. speaking of traditions, michael buble is a tradition for the season. we have a look at the special. we are cooking up favorite dishes and putting a tasty spin on some of the classics. >> i love it when there is breakfast on the show. we want a final check of the weather from dylan. it is chilly right now, but we will see things get up to

average. that sounds nice. average is good. especially when it is below average lately. we have high pressure dominating the weather across the eastern half of the country. that keeps the sunshine out. a bit foggy. burn off the fog in the great lakes and midwest. mountain snow above 6,000 feet in the rockies with a foot of snow in the highest elevations. the storm regenerates a bit. it will turn into snow through parts of wyoming, especially on sunday. ahead of it, all rain. stronger storms through the plain states and texas. on monday, that will start to spread further to the east with most of the snow back through a good saturday morning. i'm meteorologist michelle grossman. chilly throughout the day. feeling colder than air temperature. 40 to 43. winds out of the northwest at 5 to 15 miles per hour. up to 42 today. mixture of sun and clouds. quiet day. another quiet day on sunday.

up to 46. above normal this time of year. milder monday, 48. 50 on tuesday. might see a shower or two. by wednesday, we're going to bring back sunshine. breezy, 46. quiet on thursday. a high of 45. have a great day. and that's your latest forecast. >> dylan, thanks. a hit country song is making headlines, though, not just because it is skyrocketing to the top of the charts, but because it is mocking other country charts. not everyone is laughing. here is nbc's janet shamlian. ♪ i wish i had some shoes on my bare feet. >> reporter: the duo hit the number one spot on country radio most played list. not a bad deal for two 19-year-olds. it is how they did it that has the music world buzzing. their chart topping tune mocks the genre as country. heavy on lyrics and wheels.

you know the kind. women aren't wearing much and saying even less. >> the song is very tongue-in-cheek, but also a true message behind it. basically, inspiration came from maddie and i being annoyed at how girls are portrayed in country music. >> reporter: the single "girl in a country song" turns the tables on the guys. >> it is a big statement. they are two young girls that have talent and can sing great and got a catchy song hitting a nerve because people know it's true. >> reporter: it may all be in fun, not everyone's laughing. brian kelly of florida/georgia line is all i can say is i don't know one girl who doesn't want to be a girl in a country song. but there is always support. country artist brad paisley and dierks bentley tweeted congrats.

>> i think the reason why is people related to it and agreed with it. we are surprised nobody said it before we did. >> reporter: they may be having the last laugh, not just a girl in a country song, but now a number one country song. for "today," janet shamlian, nbc news. >> i loved it. it is catchy. >> i find it silly to get that upset about it. >> it is what it is. it's what the songs are about a lot of times. >> they are smart and talented. >> and lester loves it. >> lester will play it later in the holiday party. stand by. up next, did you say? >> holiday movies. on the classics to the family favorites. we will check out the ones that should be on your list robot butler, can you shut the shades?

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the holiday season is a great opportunity to spend time with loved ones and share memories. >> and what say better way to do that than to watch a holiday classic movie together. with so many films out there, it is hard to narrow down which ones to watch every year. we assembled a panel to break it all down. but first, here is our own joelle gargulo. >> it is, it is. i know it is. >> reporter: the holiday movie, proof that miracles do come true. especially on 34th street. >> mr. kringle.

>> reporter: when the grinch gets a heart of gold and being home alone is an adventure. sitting down to watch the movies is a holiday tradition. from black and white classics "it's a wonderful life" to perennial favorites like "frosty the snow man" to "a christmas story." >> you'll shoot your eye out, kid. ho, ho, ho. >> reporter: charlie brown christmas and scrooge and elf. holiday movies are what the season is all about. you can learn a few things along the way. never try to stick your tongue to the metal pole in the winter and lighting your home with 25,000 bulbs is not a good idea. just ask clark griswald about that one. make sure to set aside some time

for movies. every time you hear that bell ring, remember, an angel has gotten his wings. for "today," joelle gargulo, nbc news. >> we are joined by editor of fandango.com is eric dyson. >> we broke this down to classics and rom-coms. you have yours picked out. >> we have them on snow flakes. show us your favorite christmas classic. >> "christmas story." >> "christmas vacation." >> i went with "kill bill." "a christmas story." who wants to start off. >> i like "a christmas story." it is the movie equivalent of

snuggling up under the blanket. i want the big leg lamp, but my wife won't let me put it in the window. my wife won't let me have the big one yet. i have one on my desk. >> christmas? >> this is a master piece. you can never remake it. it is perfect. who does and want to watch another family have a christmas meltdown. this is like every meltdown you ever had in one film. fantastic. >> chuck. >> "a christmas story." what better line than you'll put somebody's eye out with that. every kid heard that. every kid said we can't get you that. we don't have that kind of insurance. >> on christmas eve, you have your kid in front of the tv and they will be out all day long. speaking of. family movies. we watched "polar express" at

our house. >> we have "polar express." "elf." >> this is the 1970 dickens "scrooge" featuring albert finney. >> it is so -- so many great scenes in this movie. i hate musicals. i love it. people don't know about this movie. rent it. it's awesome. >> you know what is great about "polar express" they have a real train ride to ride on the polar express. you can read the book and experience it in a number of ways with your children. >> i remember reading the book. i don't remember seeing the movie. >> i love "elf." the elves have taken over the north pole. it is not about santa. it is behind the scenes. who doesn't love a 6-foot man in

an elf costume. >> he nailed that part. >> show us your favorite romance -- rom-com. >> "four christmass" and "love actually." >> i loved "the preacher's wife." it is a sweet telling christmas story and it's very family oriented. it is very romantic and i am dead inside. >> are you getting weepy? >> i don't know what came over me. >> i'll get you tissues for christmas. >> kerry, "love actually." i haven't thought about that. >> it is all about different stages of love you are in, whether a child or your husband is cheating on you. whatever it is. it's christmas. i love hugh grant. so dreamy.

i watch it every christmas eve. >> the airport. >> yeah. >> quickly, you have "four christmas christmases." >> it is the most realistic. all this traveling around with your family and seeing the families, it brings you closer as a couple. that is what the movie is about. that is what the holidays are about. >> you made us think of a lot of films. eric, kerry, chuck, thank you. happy holidays. let's go over to diylan in the orange room. >> this is carol from ames, iowa. carol, you have been outside since 5:00 this morning. now you are in the orange room. go for it. >> still to come on "today," erica gets a behind the scenes look of michael buble's christmas special, but first this is "today" on nbc.

michael buble is part of the holiday tradition for millions of people. fourth annual christmas special airs this wednesday on nbc. an hour-long variety show. the canadian crooner put it together for months with ariana grande and barbra streisand. i recently sat down with him at radio city music hall. >> every christmas, i say i'm doing this again. i love it, but oh, my god. it is so hard. hard to get guests and get everybody together. >> how is it hard for michael buble to get christmas specials? >> the guests i'm getting are iconic. they are working. they are busy.

>> what was the reaction when you reached out to barbra streisand? >> i cannot tell you how good it was to get her. the fact we got her was great. the fact her and i had a blast doing it and were so connected and loved every minute of it is more special. the fact that you invite me into your home to spend such a special and personal tradition with you at a holiday, it means everything to me. >> do you have moments where you still pinch yourself? >> i do. i'm just a normal human being who never expected this to happen. >> you are really bringing the fans into the experience with social media. how has that changed? >> i thought people write in to facebook or twitter or instagram and request songs. >> were you surprised? >> "grandma got run over by a

reindeer." >> that is a classic. >> not for your special. >> i will play lightning round with you. favorite christmas song? >> i'll be home for christmas. >> favorite movie? >> there are so many. i love elf. >> santa's coming to town. >> santa! oh, my god! >> christmas treat? >> gingerbread cookies with the icing is soft. >> best christmas present? >> 8 years old. i open the door to my bedroom and everything was "star wars." water bed. >> only santa can make it happen. >> absolutely. >> what are you most excited about sharing with your son? >> santa claus coming to town. i cannot wait to see the wonder in my little guy's eyes. i hope one day for him when he has his own kids that he wants

to recreate what we gave him the same way i want to create my family christmas experience. ♪ christmas >> michael is tight with his family. you saw the shot of them on the stage. they are part of the special. you can catch the whole thing wednesday night at 8:00/7:00 central here on nbc. he is so talented and smart. really worked very closely on the special. he is so much fun. >> he seems like it. >> he is humble despite the success. he is able to laugh at himself. >> that is the connection he has with his family that keeps him grounded. >> i love his music. >> i love him. still to come, just in time

for hanukkah, we are cooking up holiday favorites thanks. ♪ [ male announcer ] fedex® has solutions to enable global commerce that can help your company grow steadily and quickly. great job. (mandarin) ♪ cut it out. >>see you tomorrow. ♪

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knock it out, fast. with abreva. tuesday marks the beginning of hanukkah and we are getting ready by cooking up classic dishes. we are joined by eli who is the contributor of saveur magazine. >> good morning. >> we will start with latkes today. we will see how to shred onion and potato. >> we will grate the potatoes in water so they don't oxidize. we have the potatoes grated and they are mixed with egg. put chive and garlic and flour in there. give it a good swirl and good mix. i'm not going to make you use your hands. >> that's the way you do it?

>> yeah. you would form them by hand and slide them in the oil here. >> picture me forming them. >> they are about the size of a golf ball. >> i have the latkes going here. you want to fry them until they are golden brown on one side. two minutes. flip them over. these latkes are frying. >> we are working on those. how long does it take to cook? >> five minutes. i have some done back here. i'll pull them out of the oven. >> excellent. >> these are the finished product here. >> i'll get the door. you get the latkes. >> these are the latkes. while i'm plating these here, i would love for you to make these sauces. >> which one? >> an apple sauce. it has ginger, cinnamon and brown sugar. >> the spices give it more umph. >> if you can mix that together.

i'll take these latkes and put a little bit of the toppings on. >> okay. these are nice bite size. >> if you are having a party, it is nice to serve as appetizers. >> the ones in front of us are not appetizers. >> these are double down. >> a fun sandwich. obviously super healthy. >> it has vegetables. >> hanukkah is all about oil. the miracle of the oil. everything should be deep fried. this is a non-traditional take on hanukkah. basically, it is a sandwich with horseradish and sour cream. down here we have cream cheese doughnuts. if anybody wants to take a bite of one, we can soon saupoon som. i like the most traditional hanukkah thing you could have.

>> i want a latke here. >> great to have you with us. >> thank you for having me. >> for the recipes, log s. we're huh to a cold start. temperatures in the 30s. feels like the 20s. it's going to be chilly today.l÷ we'll have your full forecast straight ahead. crews are pouring the concrete foundation for the new comcast innovation and technology center. we'll have a live report on the progress. and it's a surprise of lifetime for a little girl from new jersey. we'll show you how the wish she told santa came true. those stories and much more coming up next on "nbc10 news today" at 9:00.

right now on "nbc10 news today," saying good-bye to one of philadelphia's bravest. family, friends, and the community come together to remember joyce craig, the city's first female firefighter to lose her life in the line of duty.uu÷ this morning crews are busy pouring the concrete foundation for one of the biggest changes ever to the philadelphia skyline. we're live to show you the progress at the site of the comcast innovation and technology center. no rain to worry about tomorrow night. the birds will take on the boys, first place in the division is on the line. we'll have more op your game day forecast coming up. good morning. this is "nbc10 news today." i'm rosemary connors. meteorologist michelle grossman is tracking the conditions outside for us.

michelle, we are starting to see those clouds finally move out. >> we're finally seeing sunshine. we had days and days of clouds. good morning. we had snow, some rain from that nor'easter but we're goingññ÷m see a mixture of sun and clouds. we're going to see cold conditions and breezy conditions. not a bad day overall but bundle up as you head out. temperatures in the 30s. 36 in allentown. 34 in lancaster. 36 in÷!tbe millville and 29 deg in. mount pocono. factor in the winds, we are seeing winds right around 20 miles per hour in some spots. sees windchills in the 20s. 29 is what it feels like in philadelphia. it feels like the teens in mount pocono. these are the numbers you want to dress for. a lot of spots feeling like the 20s. for today, by 11:00, 37 by 1:0039. it will be breezy the entire way. we'll talk more about the forecast and look ahead towards your eagles forecast in a few minutes. happening right now,