you can always get up to the date information for the nbc app. have a great day. happy new year. . good morning. the defendant bill cosby accused of a sexual assault more than a decade ago. >> how do you feel, sir? >> a frail looking cosby post bail. the first criminal case against the once beloved star, after a slew of accusations. this morning, cosby's attorney speaks out live. from bad to worse. historic flooding intensifies in the midwest. new rescues and evacuations in missouri. highways shut down as the mississippi and other major rivers get set to crest at record heights later today. back in the u.s. the mother of the so-called affluenza teen arrives in los angeles overnight in the custody of u.s. marshals. >> people want to know, what were you thinking? >> this as her son fights his

own extradition. why he could remain in mexico for months. and prepping for a party. with an increased eye on security, the world gets set to celebrate the arrival of a new year. today, thursday, december 31st, 2015. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today," with matt lauer and savannah guthrie, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. good morning, everybody. it's new year's eve morning. i'm savannah guthrie alongside craig melvin, alongside matt. this is the night we fear the most. we have to stay up until midnight. >> i'm going try. >> i can't believe that 2015 flew by like that. >> later in the show, we'll tell you how to say good-bye to 2015 in style. our top story is a breaking one. the criminal case against bill cosby after the legendary actor and comedian was arraigned on a

sex assault charge. his attorney calls the charge unjustifies. we'll talk to her and the attorney who represents a dozen cosby accusers. first, let's get the latest from stephanie gosk in pennsylvania. >> good morning, savannah. the prosecutor was racing against the clock to beat an expiring statute of limitations. he said it was cosby's own words from a 2005 deposition that triggered the re-opening of this case and led to a stunning announcement. >> reporter: 78-year-old bill cos cosby, carrying a cane and stumbling his way into a small pennsylvania courthouse, to face felony charges of aggravated assault. clearing a bail to return to his nearby home where the came began in 2004. prosecutors say that's where former temple university andrea constand agreed to take pills and drink wine, and became paralyzed as cosby performed

sexual acts against her wishes. while no charges were filed at the time, constand filed a civil suit in 2005, settled a year later. it was excerpts from a deposition from that suit that triggered the new criminal case. constand's attorney asking cosby about his purchase of quaaludes in the '70s, a now banned drug. was it in your mind that you were going to use these drugs with young women you wanted to have sex with? cosby answered, yes. >> opening treopening the case question. >> a former d.a. who refused to prosecutor bill cosby. >> we examined all the evidence that we had available to us. made this determination because it was the right thing to do. >> reporter: in a statement to nbc news, cosby's attorney suggested the charges were motivated by local politics, and came as no surprise.

we intend to mount a vigorous defense against this unjustified charge, and we expect mr. cosby will be exonerated by a court of law. one of the 12 woman who came forward in the 2005 civil suit said she doesn't believe cosby will admit any wrongdoing at trial. >> i have not ever known him to be a person who tells the truth. so, no, i don't have a particular desire to hear him testify. >> cosby's legal team has denied these allegations from the very beginning. in fact, filing nine defamation lawsuits in recent weeks against accusers. cosby is expected back in court on january 14th. if he's found guilty, he could face up to ten years in prison. >> stephanie gosk, thank you. monique pressley represents mr. cosby. thank you for being here. >> good morning. >> what is his state of mind? how is he viewing the charges? >> i can't testify really about

his state of mind personally. he's been accused unjustly of a crime so, certainly, that's upsetting, but he's in good spirits and he knows he has a legal team that is intent on defending him until he is exonerated. >> as we mentioned, this is a charge, a set of charges, that could carry up to ten years in prison. does he fear jail? >> well, it's a charge, and any person who is charged with a crime, the threat of little b bitter -- liberty interests being lost is there. we're going to get to the facts of this old case that was once decided, such that the former d.a. said there was no need to go further and it belonged in the civil courts. now, through a game of political football, at which my client's life is the center, we're back again. >> given your dealings so far with this prosecution, do you think there will be discussions about a plea agreement?

would you be open to that, or will this case go to trial? >> i have no idea what the prosecutor's office is going to do and what the inner workings are of their system but -- >> would you be open to it? >> my client is not guilty, and there will be no consideration on our part of any sort of arrangement. >> you said in your statement yesterday that you are expecting he will be exonerated. what is the source of that confidence? do you think that this is a weak set of allegations? >> well, it's that, but it's also the fact that a court of law doesn't run like the media does, for example. in that, any person who has a picture or a story or something that they'd like to say, if they're saying it about the right person, and bill cosby is the right person to say something about, then they can air that grievance and have been doing so for the past year. in a court of law, there's a system of laws and rules that judges follow.

and i have confidence in that system of justice. as i've said in any number of interviews on this network and elsewhere, i believe when you separate what happens in the court of law from what has been allowed to happen in the fictional court of public opinion, you will get an outcome to justice requires. >> one possibility is if a judge were to allow it in a pretrial hearing, that other accusers could come forward. it's not certain they would be permitted to testify, but is that a key consideration in your mind, that you could see a set of other accusers be allowed to testify, to try to establish some kind of pattern? >> we expect the d.a., who is highly motivated, fulfilling a campaign promise, not necessarily interested in getting justice, but in the ad you played, it was the promise itself. where he said, bruce castor doesn't care about the victims, isn't tough on crime. these are the things that

campaigns are made of. now, backed into a corner, it seems like the almost new d.a. has had to fulfill that promise. i'm sure that they will do whatever it is they can to try to convince the judge to consider all types of evidence that doesn't belong in a court. again, we will defend against it, and i have confidence in the judicial system. >> pardon -- >> and judges will make the right decision. >> part of the reason this case was brought was because of a look at the deposition taken in connection with the civil litigation in this case. is this a situation where mr. cosby's own words have come back and come back to bite him? >> no. i think this is a situation where the district attorney's office has come back to bite it, and that's what we will see happen. it was that d.a.'s office that chose to end the investigation, publicly saying there was not sufficient evidence to go

forward. it was that d.a.'s office who had my client participate in a civil process. now, it's the same d.a.'s office who is trying to use the communicating and participating -- that would have never happened and, frankly, was illegally released through a court reporter -- they're trying to use that and say it was a basis for these charges. also, if you look at the deposition itself, which now is out there, wasn't supposed to be, but is, then you'll see there is no admission of criminal wrongdoing with respect to mr. cosby. there is detailed testimony about this incident and others. >> a lot of people will say, if he's not guilty, why would he have settled a case with her? obviously, there's a difference between a civil case and a criminal case, but a person just watching at home thinks, if you think someone is lying, why do you pay them money? why do you settle? >> i don't really think that that's what people at home think. i think the people at home are much more savvy than that, and they have to deal with situations in their own lives

where they have people who are threatening them. who are threatening to come after their homes or their lifestyle or their work or their reputation or their career, decades of whatever it is they've done in their own capacities. they know there are times it's wise to settle claims rather than fight them, especially if it's something where you believe everything you're working for will be lost. this may have been one of those times. i'm bound right now, oddly enough, i can't even believe it myself, my client is still bound by a confidentiality agreement in this case. even though the direct attorney's office pressed charges. even the person who brought the civil suit is apparently voluntarily cooperating. we have to toe the line until a court tells us we're free to speak. i'm sure in the court documents for this case, once we are allowed to say what needs to be said, everything will be made clear. >> monique pressley, good to have you. it's a long road just beginning.

hope to speak to you again. >> thank you for having me. >> also speaking out is gloria allred, representing 29 people who claim they suffered at the hands of bill cosby. >> good morning, craig. >> what has been the reaction by your clients to the news of the suit filed yesterday? >> very happy. andrea constand, the alleged victim, is going to have her day in court. that the justice system is going to permit her to be able to testify and have a jury decide on the allegations that she has made. that's so important. for most of the many, many alleged victims that i represent, if not all, they are barred by the statute of limitations, by the arbitrary time limit set by law, from having their cases prosecuted, even if there were a district attorney who believed that case could be proven beyond a

reasonable doubt. but andrea is within that statute of limitations in pennsylvania and, therefore, a prosecution is going to go forward. very, very happy about that. >> i want to pick up on something ms. pressley just said. a lot of what ms. constand alleges, the details are ear ee similar to what dozens of other women said happened to them. how real of a possibility is it that these other women could be called to testify? >> montgomery county indicated in the press release if there are other alleged victims, they should contact detectives. law enforcement is well aware of the many clients that i have represented and i do represent and what they allege, that mr. cosby did to them. it's all on my website. gloria allred.com. we've done news conferences. they're aware of it.

if, in fact, the prosecutor feels that some of the descriptions by my clients are of same or similar acts, as alleged in the charges against mr. cosby, many of my clients have already indicated that they will be prepared to testify in the criminal case if their testimony would be considered rel vaevant and admissible. >> are there women that have contacted you who have not come forward yet, who have made similar accusations against bill cosby? >> the answer is yes, yes and yes. even before the charges yesterday, some of whom said they would be prepared to testify, but didn't want to go public before that time. since yesterday, i've had even more contacts from even more women. >> gloria allred, thank you so much for your time. >> thank you. another story we're following, this historic flooding wreaking havoc in several states.

the waters rising across missouri, illinois and other parts of the south, as officials monitor the levies in danger of breech i breaching. miguel almaguer has more. >> the river has risen to 30 feet above flood stage. there is good news. it appears this river crested a few hours ago. the bad news, there are several levies that are in jeopardy here, and the threat is far from over. >> reporter: this morning, the mississippi, the missouri and the marimack rivers are raging. homes have washed away. neighborhoods have been torn apart. at least 21 in the area are dead. a death toll many fear will rise with the water. >> i've never seen that before, and it's a historic flood. parts of i-44 shut down. the coast guard and the national

guard have been deployed. all hands on deck ready for rescue. outside st. louis, flood records have been shattered. in eureka, they've never been hit this hard. >> four feet high here, because i'm six feet tall. >> reporter: with hundreds of homes now islands, thousands more are in danger. nearly two dozen levies are at risk. power plants, water facilities are down. rising river cresting around valley park, where nearly 900 have been forced to pack up and get out. >> it's devastating to think about everything. our own home going under with everything in it. >> reporter: with the missouri river in st. louis expecting to crest today, the flood stage sits at 30 feet. the water here expected to reach 13 feet above that. they're packing tens of thousands of sandbags to fortify cities big and small. the next 24 hours, critical, as the water rises.

any sense of comfort vanishes. >> i pray everything goes good and we're safe. >> overnight, another major freeway, i-55, has also been shut down. it's never happened in this area before. the u.s. army core of engineers is worried. the question now, will the riverbanks hold back all the water? savannah and craig, back to you. >> thank you. believe it or not, we are hours away from the start of a new year, and people are getting ready to celebrate at home and around the world. police are tightening security in the wake of recent terror attacks and foiled plots. nbc's ron mott is a few blocks away in times square. good morning to you, sir. >> hey, craig, good morning to you. the big day, finally here. officials in new york city say they are ready to stop any threats that might emerge tonight. around the world, as you mentioned, even more severe security precautions go into place. one city is going so far as to

cancel its new year's eve celebration. >> happy new year! >> reporter: this morning, americans are getting ready to ring in the new year. law enforcement is preparing, too. on the lookout for any suspicious activity in cities throughout the country. in new york, police are deploying up to 6,000 officers in times square. nearly 1 million people will gather to watch the ball drop at midnight tonight. >> we strategically deploy our offices to areas where there will be large crowds. >> reporter: earlier this month, the nypd conducted a demonstration of its new strategic response group, a unit designed for critical incidents and major events like new year's eve. in los angeles, officials are dpe gearing up for tomorrow's rose parade. in chicago, security preparations are underway for their new year's eve preparations. officials say there is no credible terror threat.

major events are scheduled to go on as planned. overseas, authorities are taking more extreme precautions. in paris, there will be no fireworks show. the city still reeling from november's terror attack, is mobilizing 11,000 police and military officers, 2,000 more than last year. and belgium officials cancelled festivities over fear of a terror threat. >> three, two, one, happy new year! >> reporter: at home, spirits remain high. law enforcement, training for weeks, hoping to ensure that americans have a safe and happy start to 2016. >> considering the high level of security that will be in place tonight, one nypd official said, new york city and times square in particular, might be the safest place in the world today. back to you. >> ron mott in times square. thanks. new developments in the san bernardino terror attack. a federal grand jury on

wednesday indicted a friend of one of the shooters. enrique marquez is accused of conspireing with farook to commit terror attacks in 2011 and 2012. he's accused of making false statements when buying the guns used in the shootings. 14 people were killed when farook and his wife opened fire at the conference center december 2nd. the rain has stopped in missouri, but awful situation. >> the rain has been stopped for a couple days, but it takes a while for all of the water to work its way from the tributaries and the smaller rivers to fill into the mississippi. we've had a lot of the flooding near st. louis. over the course of the next couple days, we are going to see this threat go farther to the south, once the water reaching areas like arkansas, where we'll see flooding through the weekend. there are 46 locations still seeing major flooding right now. we'll see that threat through arkansas all weekend long.

we do also have rain across the southeast. we've had pockets of heavier rain that's produced flooding across the southeast. with this moisture streaming in from the gulf of mexico, northern florida could see flooding with the heavier downpours today and into tomorrow. that's a look at the weather across the country. your local weight watchers has changed. our all-new beyond the scale program puts the focus on you and not just the number on the scale. lose weight while eating healthier, with all new smartpoints. and move more by including fitness in ways that work for you. see how good you'll feel with the new weight watchers beyond the scale program! join for free now and lose 10 pounds on us. >> hi, i'm your meteorologist brittany shipp. our temperatures range between

53 degrees, some sunshine as we head into the afternoon, breezy and mild, our wind speeds out of the northwest. that will stick around for you new year's eve. so temperatures right around midnight, close to 38 degrees. feeling like 35. we cool down into the week. take a look at next week. day time highs drop to the 30s. happy new year. >> that's the latest forecast. coming up, the mother of the so-called affluenza teen, brought back to the u.s. overnight as her son fights extradition from mexico. the decision that could drag out this case for weeks or months. also ahead, a year in the life of the president through the lens of his official photographer. first, this is "today" on nbc.

the republicans in harrisburg were fighting each other over the state budget. that's right. each other. the republican state senate passed a responsible budget that "begins" to fund education but the republican house of representatives has insisted on a budget that fails to fund education and balloons the deficit. call your legislator, tell them to pass a budget that's right for pennsylvania.

coming up, which ones were your favorites? we're looking back at the best commer

to the couple wondering what a good deal looks like... no. seriously? we'll give it a 6 for composition. scary. wow, what about just putting a fair, no haggle price on the window? not zany enough?

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that's no fun. unleash the power of dough. good morning, i'm tracy davidson. your first alert forecast from brittany shipp. >> good morning, we will see an above average day, temperatures in the 50s. changes on the way to cool things down. a mix of sun and clouds expected today. cool temperatures for new year's eve, nice and dry. 49 degrees in philadelphia. 47 in wilmington, 50 degrees in wildwood. you can see the flag is moving there. so breezy conditions expected today. wind speeds out of the northwest 10 to 1520 miles per hour. our highs range between 50 and 53. >> relatively quiet roads today. jessica. >> this is pretty much what we

seen all week, a lot of kids out of school t. schuylkill expressway around girard avenue always looks like this eastbound from the blue route to the vine street expressway. >> we are counting down to 2016, the city will have two big fireworks shows at penn's landing. one is at 6:00 p.m., which you can watch live and another at midnight live on our website and the nbc 10 news appch before that, a countdown at noon in fairmont park. you can watch the ball drop at noon and 1:00. you can always stay updated with news an weather with the nbc 10 app. now back to the "today" show.

7:30 now, thursday morning, the last day of 2015. good-bye, 2015. >> can't believe it. >> there's times square getting ready, all dolled up. one million people will come to ring in the new year later tonight. back in studio 1a, let's look at some of the news that's happening right now. bill cosby's free on a $1 million bond following his arrest on a sex assault charge in pennsylvania. it involves a former temple university employee who cosby invited to his home in 2004. in our last half hour, cosby's attorney told savannah that she's confident her client will be exonerated. the midwest dealing with historic flooding today. the mississippi is expected to flood in st. louis.

later today, it'll be 13 feet above flood stage. heavy turbulence is blamed for injuries to 21 passengers on an air canada flight. it was going from toronto to shanghai. it made an emergency landing. the mother of so-called affluenza teen ethan couch is back in the u.s. she was flown from mexico to the u.s. overnight where she was handed over to u.s. marshals. her son won a temporary delay in his extradition. let's get to gabe gutierrez for the latest. >> good morning. there were a lot of fast moving developments overnight. ethan couch's mother is expected back here in texas to face a judge at some point. the question is when. her son is still in mexico. for how long? >> reporter: this morning, tonya couch, the mother of the so-called affluenza teen, is back in the u.s. deported from mexico, she arrived in los angeles overnight. >> people want to know, what were you thinking?

>> reporter: prosecutors in texas planning to charge her with hindering an arrest for allegedly helping her son run from authorities. a felony that could put her behind bars for up to ten years if she's convicted. meanwhile, ethan couch was rushed from this immigration facility to mexico city. earlier, his fully retained mexican authorities filed paperwork to block his deportation. now, a judge must decide. >> it's on their time schedule. we've seen these happen as quickly as two weeks to two months. it depends on the court system down there. >> reporter: jason mills is an export in deportation law. >> does this indicate that ethan couch wants to stay in mexico for the long haul? >> i think it does. or at least ethan wants to stay anywhere besides the united states. >> reporter: this gritty apartment in puerto vallarta is where the couches were found. the pair didn't register when they crossed into the country in this pickup truck.

a cell phone call they made to domino's pizza helped investigators pinpoint their location. couch had been on the run since failing to check in with his probation officer. the 18-year-old killed four people when he drove drunk. the prosecution argued he flew -- grew up too aft affluent an didn't know right from wrong. the pair flew a going away party before they went missing. >> in his first public comments since the appearance, couch's father released a statement through the attorney saying, he's fully cooperating with the investigation. investigators don't believe he helped them run from the law. >> thank you very much. let's get a check of the weather for dylan in for al. again, another unseasonably warm

day is coming to an end. >> it's not going to be too cold, it'll be regular. >> for january. >> exactly. so much above average up and down the east coast, that we've been getting used to the warmer temperatures. it'll feel like a shock to the system once we get to the colder air. through today, the last day of the year, new york city will still be above average with a temperature of 48 degrees. roanoke, 54. charleston, 16 degrees above average, high of 75 degrees. through the weekend, we'll get back into the 30s up in cleveland. raleigh will sink to the lower 50s by the time we get to saturday. new york will be in the low to mid 40s, which is more typical for this time of year, if not a touch above average. atlanta will sink to the mid 50s, too. even florida, we're looking at 50s. as yes plan for the day today, there's not a lot going on. we'll see lake-effect snow around the great lakes. for tonight for the new year's eve celebration, we're looking at mostly clearly skies. on new year's day, showers along the gulf coast, but most of the

country looking hi, i'm first alert meteorologist participant? i shipp. as we head through the rest of the day, our temperatures range between 50 and 53 degrees. some sunshine as we head into the afternoon, breezy and mild. our wind speeds out of the northwest, 10 to 1520 miles per hour. >> that will stick around for your new year's eve, closest to 38 degrees, feeling like 35. we cool things down headed into the weekend. take a look at next week. your daytime highs drop to the 30. happy new year. forecast. >> thank you. what's the deal with that? president obama was trading some one liners with jerry seinfeld. they made us laugh, made us cry, the top commercials of 2015. 2015. we have three chevy's here. alright. i want you to place this award on the podium next to the vehicle that you think was ranked highest in initial quality by j.d. power. hmm. can i look around at them?

sure. highest ranking in initial quality. it's gotta be this one. this is it. you are wrong. really? actually it's all three. you tricked me. j.d. power ranked the chevy malibu, silverado half-ton and equinox highest in initial quality in their segments. that's impressive! i'm very surprised! i am. i'm very surprised. chevy hit three home runs. if it doesn't work fast... you're on to the next thing. clinically proven neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair. it targets fine lines and wrinkles with the fastest retinol formula available. you'll see younger looking skin in just one week. one week? this one's a keeper. rapid wrinkle repair.

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learn more on specially marked packs. light & fit. feel free to enjoy. we are back at 7:40 with the best commercials of 2015. >> the digital age made it harder on advertisers to get our attention, but the right spot can keep you from reaching for the remote or looking for the skip button online. barbara is an editor at media post pn post.com. we all hate the online ads. >> we want to swat it away. >> look what geico did. i think they got it right. >> don't thank me. thank the savings. >> you can't skip this geico ad because it's already over. geico, 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance. >> then the dog, it's this corny old ad. you can't believe it. the geico label is there the whole time. then the dog rampages over the

table and eats everything. it could go on for three minutes. instead of begging you to watch it, it's -- >> they move their eyes a tiny bit. the people are frozen. >> this next one from amazon tugs at theart strings. >> it was a twist. >> look at this one here. ♪ little man when you stand by my side then i know i don't have to hide from anyone ♪ >> then you have this miniature horse that's going to come through the doggy dog, right about now. >> yeah, just poking through the door. the point is, you can order anything overnight on your mobile phone.

they use the "little man" music, and it's little horse movement, little house movement. there's like this rudolph scenario. >> humor words in ads. as it does in the next one. i remember this from the soup bow -- super bowl. >> what happened? >> peter hit me in the nose. >> i'm sure it was an accident. >> eye for an eye. it's what dad always said. >> i never said that, honey. >> shut up! >> marsha, eat a snickers. >> this has been a formula for snickers five years. no one expected these two. then steve buscemi for the win. they're acting like marsha and jan. they always redid the mouth of the mother and father to say those things. >> marsha, marsha, marsha.

this next one played at the emmys for apple music. it was a modern day take on the mix tape. >> you have a boyfriend that makes you a mix tape in your laptop. >> watch what's next. this is incredible. >> come on! >> one of the things i liked about this ad is you got to think that this is something that could actually happen with these three women. >> yes. they had such chemistry. that's a party you want to be at. 90% cooler than most ads just because of the star power, but it's relatable. when women get together to watch the emmys, it stole the show because it was interesting. it was another story. people wanted to go there. >> if they ever get together, i'd like to be invited. >> there are two more parts of the commercial. they try to cook dinner, try to eat it. >> doesn't go as well. >> thank you so much. coming up, a change coming to the menu at chick-fil-a and while customers are not happy about it. from the serious to the

silly. a unique look at big news!

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97%? helped by geico's fast and friendly claims service. huh... oh yeah, baby. geico's as fast and friendly as it gets. woo! geico. expect great savings and a whole lot more. we're back. 7:48. sheinelle is in the orange room for carson. you have the president's year in photos s s photos. >> white house photographer turns out two million words a day, if a picture is worth a thousand words. here's nbc's ron allen. >> reporter: they are unique behind the scenes, close-up images of a president. many never have seen publicly until now. serious matters inside the white house. a first daughter drops by the oefl offi

oval office to see her dad. the president with a mom's twin sons. the first lady wiping a tear. nbc news lot an exclusive first look. >> i probably take between 500 and 2,000 a day. probably about 250,000 a year, somewhere in that -- >> over seven years? >> over seven years. >> we're talking -- >> a lot of pictures. >> reporter: part of his mission, to document history. president obama and the first family greeting pope francis. a handshake with cuba's castro. a big smile after the iran nuclear deal. mr. president there for vice president biden at his son's funeral. >> he is the president of the united states, but he's also a human being. i try to show his personality as best i can. there's obviously a lot of pictures with little kids in my year end gallery. he loves babies. >> reporter: that's deputy national security adviser ben

rhodes daughter ella before the party. >> have you ever seen a president lying on the floor with a baby in an elephant suit? >> definitely not. >> reporter: the obama administration's wide open policy door for staff children. >> a lot of them are children of working moms, and he knows what a sacrifice they make, in terms of being at work a lot. >> reporter: this gallery has 111 pictures. what's his favorite? >> it'll hopefully be the one i make later today or tomorrow. that's what keeps you going. you're trying to get a good picture tomorrow. >> reporter: ron allen, nbc news, with the president in honolulu. >> 2,000 pictures a day. pete is active on instagram, giving a behind the scenes look of the white house all year. one of the most favorited the

president with a baby in a mini pope mobile. the number one picture of the year, the president with ella in the white house. year in photos at today.com. 2,000 photos a day. >> amazing. >> what a fantastic job. >> it's amazing. he's so be professional. he comes in, takes the picture and is out. can you imagine the stories he has to tell, not that he'd tell them. he's seen it all. >> thank you, sheinelle. everything you need to know about tonight's celebration. mr. manners will help us dodge those embarrassing situations. >> i thought you were talking about these two. about these two. carson and and i sure had a lot on my mind when i got out of the hospital after a dvt blood clot. about these two. carson and and what about my family? my li'l buddy? and what if this happened again? i was given warfarin in the hospital but i wondered if this was the right treatment for me. then my doctor told me about eliquis. eliquis treats dvt and pe blood clots

and reduces the risk of them happening again. not only does eliquis treat dvt and pe blood clots, but eliquis also had significantly less major bleeding than the standard treatment. knowing eliquis had both... turned around my thinking. don't stop eliquis unless your doctor tells you to. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. if you had a spinal injection while on eliquis call your doctor right away if you have tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily... and it may take longer than usual for bleeding to stop. seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. eliquis treats dvt & pe blood clots. plus had less major bleeding. both made switching to eliquis right for me. ask your doctor if it's right for you. after trying brookside chocolate, people talk about it online.

love at first taste. i would liquefy it and bathe in it. curse you, brookside! your nefarious plans have succeeded. nefarious? are we still talking about chocolate? brookside. talk about delicious.

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>> good morning, just before 8:00. i'm tracy davidson, let's get your forecast with meteorologist brittany shipp. >> good morning. it is into the 50. less going to be cooler by the time the fireworks go off. temperatures are expected to drop down into the 30. our temperatures range between 50 and 53 degrees. breezy and mild, speeds out of the northwest. 10 to 1520 miles per hour. here's your new years eve forecast. the feels like temperature by midnight, closer to 35 degrees. tracy. >> light traffic on the roads. let's check your roads with jessica boyington. >> you said it. we're on the 42 freeway right now. hardly anybody on the roads at all. northbound, headed two ready the walt whitman bridge. if you have to get to philadelphia, no problems to

that point. a five minute drive time. we're all in the green on the schuylkill, 95 into center city. only a 14-minute trip. tracy. >> one man is under arrest. a itself is on the run after a home invasion on north bancroft street in north philadelphia. police say a woman and her children in the home, one of the intruders shot himself in the leg. police are searching for the gunman riding a bike in north philadelphia. he died at the hospital. police are trying to find a motive. there are two fireworks shows at 6:00 and midnight at penn's landing. you can see the 16:00 p.m. show on nbc 10. you can see the midnight show on our app. now, back to "today" show. i'm tracy davidson. have a great day. .

♪ a little party never killed nobody ♪ it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, your one-stop shot to bring in 2016. a preview of the crowd in times square. we'll kick off a preview with hosts carson and andy cohen. today, thursday, december 31st, 2015. >> happy new year! >> we're here to see the ball drop. >> happy new year from the "today" show. we're having twins! >> from mississippi, happy new year. >> may your new year's sparkle

and shine. bring it on, 2016. >> happy new year. welcome back to "today." good morning, everyone. it is december 31st, 2015. in sydney, australia, it is 2016 already. that's a live picture. they know how to ring in the new year. >> happy new year to the plaza, as well. large crowd. >> we are not far behind sydney. we'll celebrate the new year in a few hours from now. thanks for having you with us. we have craig in for matt. dylan in for al. sheinelle in for carson. why am i working today? >> you got the short straw. today, the attorney for bill cosby says her client has been unjustly accused in a game of political football. cosby is free on $1 million bail

after being charged with aggravated indecent assault. stephanie gosk has more. good morning. >> good morning, natalie. i'm outside of bill cosby's home, the scene of the alleged crime from over a decade ago. the prosecutor in the case was racing against the clock to beat an expiring statute of limitations. he says, in part, this case was reopened because of cosby's own words from a 2005 deposition. that led to the stunning announcement. now, cosby's legal team suggests that it was motivated, the decision in part, by local polit politics, and the d.a. used this case as political football in a recent election. cosby's defense attorney spoke with savannah this morning. she was asked if her client would consider a plea deal. this is what she had to say. >> my client is not guilty, and there will be no consideration on our part of any sort of

arrangement. >> cosby's defense team has denied these allegations from the very beginning. in recent weeks, they've filed nine defamation lawsuits against the accusers. cosby is expected back in the courtroom on january 14th. if he's found guilty on these charges, natalie, he faces up to ten years in prison. >> stephanie, thanks. the mother of the so-called affluenza teen, ethan couch, is back in the u.s. after she was deported from mexico. tonya couch arrived in los angeles early this morning on her way back to texas, where prosecutors plan to charge her with hingering an arrest. her son is still in mexico after a judge blocked his deportation. he's been held in mexico city. today, the mississippi river is expected to crest in st. louis, 13 feet above flood stage. in valley park, missouri, some neighborhoods are surrounded by water. hundreds of homes are flooded. thousands more are threatened. the flooding is blamed for more than 20 deaths. in the presidential race,

jeb bush is shaking up his campaign with a few weeks to go before the first votes are cast. hallie jackson is in hilton head, south carolina. good morning. >> good morning, natalie. jeb bush says his new year's resolution is winning. to have a shot at that, his campaign says they're changing up their strategy. in a sudden move, pulling money off the airwaves in iowa and south carolina. >> reporter: jeb bush, now insisting his latest move is not a desperate one. >> because it's not. having the best organization on the ground is how you win. >> reporter: it's why bush says he's shifting staffers out of his miami headquarters to key early states, like new hampshire, where he's betting it all, and cancelling $3 million worth of tv ads. the latest shakeup in a campaign struggling to find its footing, slowly sliding since the summer when bush led the gop race. even presidential star power

support from his father and brother hasn't lifted him out of single digits in recent national polls. >> i'm tough, and i'm tough. >> reporter: call it the donald trump effect. in a new interview this morning, bush is calling trump a creature of barack obama. >> but for barack obama, donald trump's effect would not be nearly as strong as it is. we're living in a divided country right now, and we need political leaders rather than continuing to divide us, as both president obama and donald trump do, to unite us. >> reporter: trump, sounding frustrated with bush's attack. >> i shouldn't even talk about him. he's down to two or three. it bothers me, when i see a guy spending $60 million on ads against me, a lot of it. >> reporter: suggesting a new move for his republican rival in the new year. >> why is he doing this? doesn't he have something better? he should go home, relax. >> as we look ahead to the start of 2016, on this new year's eve,

a deadline for candidates, how much money they've raised over the last three months. overnight, ben carson's campaign pulled in about $23 million, more than last quarter. and a bit more than ted cruz, who is coming in at nearly $20 million. a cruz campaign aid telling me, they're releasing the figure to show what they call cruz's strength heading into the iowa caucus a month away. >> a lot of money all around. thank you. if you thought baseball fans in the u.s. went all out to catch home runs and fly balls, take a look at this. this happened at a cricket match in australia. a ball was hit into the stands, and one fan throws caution to the wind as he lungs and catches it upside down. the women he landed on though, probably not as excited about it. as our friend len would say, nobody got hurt. right, guys? >> i hope one of the women wasn't his girlfriend or wife. >> those balls hurt, too.

>> yeah. >> they're like lead. >> didn't know that about cricket balls. >> thank you. >> the more you know. it's new year's eve, and we, of course, know all about that. sometimes you have a party and there will be difficult personalities. >> awkwardness. we called in mr. manners himself. he's here to help us politely mix and mingle as we ring in the new year. always good to see you. >> good morning, everyone. >> this is one of my favorite games. >> i know. we'll role play. you'll talk about the different personalities you might encounter and how to deal with them. you're starting with her friend -- >> slubby sam. >> here's the thing, on new year's eve, we have the opportunity to be our best selves. perhaps, some of us, if we're lucky, are going to multiple parties. you have a chance to make a good impression at each one. if your party wardrobe is a polo and khakis, maybe throw on a jacket, tie.

>> sequence. >> that's right, exactly. >> step it up. >> even if i'm dressed to the nines and i show up, i certainly don't want to be wallflower walter. who is that? >> he doesn't mingle, doesn't speak with anybody, a little shy, hangs around the host, the only person you'll know. there's a chance you'll be at a lot of parties you don't know people. >> what are good conversation starters? >> what are your new year's resolutions? what was your favorite moment of 2015? favorite movie of 2015. >> easy starters. >> you make it easy. i'm always like, what's going on? >> hey. >> what's up? >> how was your last physical? okay. i am unannounced ursula. not only do i come to the party, i may bring my friends. >> we don't want to do that. there are a few hours left before the new year's parties begin. get in your rsvps now. it's a little late but better than minutes before the party.

if you're the host, the more the merrier. don't show the angry face when somebody shows up with unannounced guests. but don't be that person. >> that brings them. >> i'm kissed on the lips kendra. >> i'm afraid of this person. what do i do? >> it was not typecasting, natalie. >> thank god. >> at midnight, you want to keep it playful but not passionate, unless this is someone you're involved with or there's been obvious chemistry throughout the night. >> the midnight kiss, the girl that comes along and is like, let's mooch. >> kissing everyone. >> exactly. you'll get a reputation going into 2016 you probably don't want. >> it would seem like kiss on the lips kendra and guzzling gabby are the same person. >> i thought we weren't typecasting. >> how do you stop me? >> you're going to keep the campaign glass in the left hand, keeping the right hand free for

handshakes. grab it by the shtem, not the bowl. if you hold it by the bowl, it'll warm it up quicker. you also get the clink. >> i heard you weren't supposed to clink, you were supposed to approach. like approach, not clink. how do you feel about that? >> drinking champagne, wine, is all about engaging every sense, which is why you smell the wine when you drink it. the clinking is part of engaging the senses. >> we always learn something when you're here, thomas. >> let's clink. >> you need champagne. >> make eye contact when you clink. >> exactly. >> happy new year. >> happy new year. when we come back, how to get out of any awkward situation. worlds colliding. jerry seinfeld goes one on one with the president. two guys ready to help you count down to the new year. carson and andy cohen, filling

carson and andy cohen, filling us in on what they have for nbc look, i know you're a cow and all. and you may not know what i'm talking about, but, uh. the yogurt made from your milk, is delicious. mmmm, yoplait.

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♪ how else do you think he gets around so fast? take the reins this holiday and get the mercedes-benz you've always wanted during the winter event. hurry, offers end january 4th! we're back. 8:14. time for what's trepiding tod i. the last trending of 2015. >> we'll trend next year. >> we will. >> we're not stopping. >> have you heard this disturbing story? chick-fil-a discontinuing the coleslaw. >> i love their coleslaw. >> you're not the only one. they were swapping it out for something more healthy. salad and things like this. a lot of people are upset.

chick-fil-a has given the makeup gift for the change. i'll show it to you. what you are about to see is chick-fil-a's 70-year-old secret coleslaw recipe. >> wow! >> they're giving it away? >> they said because this recipe holds a special place in our hearts and history, we're excited to give it to you to enjoy at home. the coleslaw is going to be off the menu as of january 11th. >> they're going to replace it with healthy options. >> yeah. >> broccoli, salad. >> i don't understand it. if people love it, leave it on. if people don't order it, it's their business. >> don't remove it completely. >> let the people decide. >> it's paying for itself. >> now, you can get the recipe. >> the coleslaw may come back. >> it may. >> is that your prediction for 2016? >> like the mcrib. phase it out and it comes back. >> never completely goes away. >> it's on demand. >> a lot of folks upset with old navy over shirts they designed

for toddlers. check these out. old navy selling these shirts that said, aspiring young artist. as you can see, the word artist is crossed out and replaced with astronaut and, you know, president. people, naturally, took their outrage to twitter. have you seen this? old navy clearly ignorant to the value of young artists in our world. you lost me, old navy. another made a comment about who likely designed the shirt. old navy doesn't employ artists. oh, wait, they do. old navy said, we take our responsibility to customers seriously. we would never intentionally offend anyone, and we are sorry if that has been the case. this particular tee, we've decided to discontinue the design and we'll work to remove the item from our stores. >> i can see why people were irritated. >> they maybe thought it was funny but they were ditching artists. >> president obama could wear

it. he did not become an artist. >> way to find the silver lining, dylan. rebecca of sunny brook farms over here. we've all experienced an awkward moment. pretty much every day on this show. we're told when a situation violates the social norms, of course, we don't know how to react, so it's basically awkward because we make it awkward. so we have tips. we're here for you. >> this is good. >> how to recognize and manage a case of awkwardness. one, recognize that has happening is normal and everybody experiences it. two, call it out. acknowledge the weirdness. maybe do a joke, lighten the mode. don't run away, is take three. that would be even more awkward. like, bye. most importantly, be kind. you can always bring up something else. mutual topic. >> situations are awkward, and sometimes running away is justified.

in an elevator, there was a woman not pregnant, and i -- >> oh, no! >> rule number one. >> you know what? it was a long time ago. >> never ask if someone is pregnant. >> i got off on a floor not mine. >> unless it was the maternity floor, you do not ask. >> nobody is pregnant here. >> i know. >> craig may be a little pregnant. now to jerry seinfeld and the president, and taylor swift's tease. >> i love this. jerry seinfeld's web series kicked off last night and featured a special guest, president barack obama. take a look. >> don't you think every american child is a president, and a grow up loving the president? >> i do well with the 0 to 8 demographic. >> really? >> they love me. partly, they think my ears are big, and i look a little like a cartoon character. >> right. can you adjust the temperature

in here? have you touch add thermostat? >> no, i make a call. >> if i slid open your underwear drawer, one brand or a number of brands? >> you have to go with one brand. >> one brand, one color? >> of course. this is a critical concept. >> more work you don't need. you have to go off at some point with food. what's your thing? >> nachos. it's one of those where i have to have it taken away. i'll have the guacamole coming out of my eyeballs. >> what sport is politics? is it chess? is it liar's poker? >> probably most like football. you have to punt a lot. but every once in a while, you'll see a hole, and then there's open field. >> i love it. i can't wait to see the whole thing. jerry seinfeld tweeted about the episode. me, the most powerful man in the world. results 19 minutes of nonsense. said as only jerry can.

the sequel to "finding nemo" is set to come out in june. the first look at two new characters. bailee t bailey the whale. voiced by ty burrel. finally, 2015 has been a good year for taylor swift. the singer released her fifth album, 1989, and went on a world tour. taylor isn't done yet. she tweeted a screen grab, teasing her new video for "out of the woods." the singer appears to be covered in dirt as she looks into the camera with a fierce gaze. the video will premiere tonight. >> looks like something out of the hung "hunger games." >> her videos are involved. >> she perfected the fierce gaze. i'll perfect mine in 2016. >> mine is awkward. >> very cute. >> let's run

>> hi. i'm brittney shipp. as we read into the rest of the day our temperatures will range between 50 and 53 degrees. more sunshine as we head towards the afternoon. breezy and mild. temperatures right around midnight close to 38 degrees. feeling like 35. we cool things down heading right into the weekend. take a look at next week. our daytime highs drop to the 30s. happy new year. >> that's your latest forecast. savannah and craig? >> thank you so much. times square is one of the top destinations in the world to ring in the new year. if you can't be there in person, you can count on carson to bring the festivities to you. >> in about a minute, you're going to get the baptism of a brand-new year. another chance to get it right. >> 20 seconds! >> where's my wife? >> feels good. >> four, three, two, one!

happy new year! >> very impressive. >> we're singing. >> happy new year, everybody. >> i'm here with my man, carson, taking over. >> oh, my gosh. man b toobs. look who is with carson. >> andy cohen. >> i'm taking my shirt off at midnight. >> and your pants, you promised. >> both. >> this is a broadcast network. keep it family. >> right. >> you have a special edition of hollywood game night. >> it's live. >> is that a good idea? >> that's a good question, craig. >> live with celebrities playing games on new year's eve? >> with alcohol, yes, it's a fantastic idea. >> andy doesn't do anything not live. >> it's true. >> i can appreciate that. >> then i can't get in trouble if something goes wrong. it was live. >> we have you on a 15-second delay. >> as always. >> last year, i turned away when the shirt started coming off. >> yes. >> you look like you may have

been the only sober person there on the stage. >> i've been doing this almost 20 years in times square, and it's really changed throughout the years. i used to get up and it was a serious broadcasting night, you give the information. over the years, that has given away to really just doing what everybody else at home is doing, and that's having fun. we have andy, great friends that are really funny. we have great music. gwen stefani. more importantly, we have the right crew. we're going to be drinking and looking back on the year. we'll have a party in times square. >> what's your drink of choice? >> makers ginger ale. >> that's mine. >> if you want makers market anything in times square, every bottle, andy collected it. >> who are your celebrities for game night? >> we have a bunch. john stamos, bob saget, whitney

cummings. >> bob saget live? i hope you have a delay. >> serious delay, yeah. >> what are the resolutions this year, 2016? >> for me, it's to try and drink and eat a little more. i go the other way. i'm a busy man. >> more cardio. work on my friendship with carson. >> it seems like it's solid. >> it's rock solid. >> it's been fast. >> what else can you tell us about tonight? >> what else do you want to know? >> it'll be great. >> game night for an hour, and that's live. it'll be a disaster. let's be honest. >> yeah. then we're walking to you. >> he's like, no, we have to do it live. >> then we're walking over to you. >> they'll come to me. >> a live walk? >> to you. that's the only way to get to you, allegedly. yes, we'll cover the walk with all the roof cams in new york. make your way to me, sit by a fake fire, drink real alcohol and it'll be like donald trump, no. all these witty, cool, funny

people will go off. >> folks are already starting to packpee? >> where are you? >> should i have to go at 30 rock before i go? >> you're going now. >> go right now, before you leave. i don't know what's going to happen. >> oh, my gosh. >> don't mix anything. it's more. >> oh, my gosh. >> carson daly, andy cohen, looking forward to tonight. >> thanks, guys. >> happy new year. >> so excited. >> love you guys. >> drink lots of water. >> 10:00/9:00 central with nbc's new year's eve game night with andy cohen. andy walks to carson in times square to bring in 2016. >> you have to get out of here. >> that's true. i'm going on vacation. peace out. >> happy new year's to you. >> right now. >> literally. >> yes, they said to go. >> you have everything? >> yeah, sort of. >> don't forget to take your mike off. >> we're not done yet.

coming up, last-minute recipes to make your party pop as you watch andy and carson good morning. i'm tracy davidson. let's get your first alert forecast with meteorologist brittney shipp. >> nice and dry for our fireworks. temperatures today will push into the low 50s which is above average. short-lived temperatures in the 50s. we're cooling things down heading in to the next couple of days. here's your radar shot. shows quiet conditions for us which is great for our festivities tonight. temperature wise we're at 49 degrees in philadelphia. 44 in pottstown. 50 in the lakes and mount holly 46. city planner shows by 1:00 p.m. 50 degrees, 4:00 p.m. 48 tonight at midnight temperatures drop

into the high 30s. >> so far quiet onto roadways. >> definitely quiet because of the holiday but we have delays on route 73 due to the bridge opening. just moving the traffic through the area as you can see approaching the toll plaza. if you still want the alternative take betsy ross bridge. philly is getting ready to ring in 2016. there are two fireworks shows, one at penn landing at 10:00 and then another at midnight. peep feast starts tonight. and then it wouldn't be new year's without the mummers. they practiced last night. the parade begins at 9:00 tomorrow morning. we'll have another update in 25 minutes. we'll see you then.

the republicans in harrisburg were fighting each other over the state budget.

that's right. each other. the republican state senate passed a responsible budget that "begins" to fund education but the republican house of representatives has insisted on a budget that fails to fund education and balloons the deficit. call your legislator, tell them to pass a budget that's right for pennsylvania.

welcome back. it's a thursday morning, the 31st of december, 2015, the last day of the year. we have a huge crowd here on the plaza. getting a jump start on their new year's celebration. hello, folks. some of the folks are probably going to -- >> who is going to see the ball drop tonight? a loud crowd. they have to save the voice to

ring in 2016. >> some folks don't care about their folks. good looking crowd. as we mentioned, savannah really did have to leave early. she was going on vacation. >> had to get out of here. >> hopefully, she'll make it to the airport. a procrastinators guide to throw a party at home. easy things you can do. mindy kaling's project for 2016, read a book. she'll walk you through her favorites. bob harper is here to fill us in on a twist coming to his show, and tips to get the year off to a good start. first, get a check of the weather from dylan. >> times square, it is going to be nice in the northeast. temperatures near 50 degrees today. the great lakes, we have lake-effect snow. across the southeast, we'll see storms, especially through southern georgia. temperatures are cool through the northern plains. tonight at midnight, temperatures still in the '40s

in new york city. we're in the teens and 20s through the upper midwest. temperatures only in the upper 20s for areas like seattle. 32 in oregon. on new year's day, the first day of 2016, little showery along the gulf coast, but the northeast in the 40s. it is a little chilly but sunny >> hi. i'm meteorologist brittney shipp. as we read into the rest of the day our temperatures will range between 50 and 53 degrees. some sunshine, we'll see more sunshine as we head towards the afternoon. breezy and mild. wind out of the northwest 10 to 20 miles per hour that will stick around for new year's eve. temperatures around midnight 38 degrees feeling more like 35. we cool things down heading right into the weekend. take a look at next week. our daytime highs drop to the 30s. happy new year. >> that's your latest forecast. >> dylan, thank you. what's a new year's eve

party without kathie lee and hoda, especially when new year's eve is on a thirsty thursday. >> they're kicking off the celebrations on nbc with a toast to 2015. it's the ultimate look at the buzziest stories and events of the year. they invited their celebrity friends to the party. >> 2016, non-resolution, i am not willing to drink less. >> one thing i won't be doing in 2016 is diving further into technology. i'm going to try to keep it simple this year, and just be in the moment. >> i will not be giving up cheese. i know that for certain. >> to not look back at this past year. instead, i look forward to the future. >> next year, i will not be wearing culottes. >> i won't be getting an iphone. no, i might. i probably will. >> i'm not going to wear culottes. >> i'm not weaning myself off social media and i'm not weaning myself off my phone. >> i will not stop eating chunky

peanut butter out of the jar in the middle of the night. >> i will not start dressing like a proper gentleman. >> fantastic. >> it's going to be a fun night. >> what are you not going to be doing next year? >> i am not going to be looking back. i'm going to seize the day. >> i love the energy. >> i enjoyed it so much, i wanted you to say it again. you're passionate about that. >> getting on my case. once again, the two-hour special, a toast to 2015, airs tonight at 8:00/7:00 central, on nbc. up next, we're watching up with mindy kaling. she'll reveal her list of must-read books. first, this is "today" on nbc.

>> announcer: year in review on "today" is brought to you by mercedes-be mercedes-benz. the best or nothing. back now at 8:36 with help for a new year's resolution that might be on our list.

reading more in 2016. actress and author mindy kaling took us to skylight books in los angeles and shared some of her faf r favorite books with us. >> this book, i love. it's called "inside chef's at europe." it has amazing photographs, great recipes, and simple rec e recipes. you also see these beautiful pictures. man, that guy's fridge is awesome. if my fridge looked like this, i would be stoked. look at the fruit. my fridge has never seen fruit. here are two of my favorite books. one is a classic, "bridget jones dairy," which was also one of my favorite movies. >> the greatest book of all time. >> the other is called "the love affairs of nathaniel p.

it's realistic and kind of cringe-worthy, in how well detailed it is. i think they actually make a good pair of books to give to somebody. this is a great book. this is the "best american mystery stories." it was edited by one of my favorite mystery authors. sometimes a big book seems like a big assignment. with these, read one before you go to sleep, then have terrible nightmares and want to read another one the next day. "we should all be feminists," a famous essay sampled in the beyonce song "flawless." >> believes in the social, political and economic equality. >> she's the writer where when she says something, you're like, i wish i said that. that's my opinion instantly. i think a lot of people feel reluctant to say they're feminists which, to me, is a pity.

i think if you read this, more people would be like, yeah, i'm a human. i'm a feminist. you wouldn't be scared of the term. huh, "why not be" by mindy kaling. in the humor section. i don't know. i think it should be in the classic section. i'm going to buy it. "this w this was my favorite book as a kid, "harriett the spy." i, too, kind of look like a little boy with the round face and glasses. it's not a book about her being cute or fashionable or starting a makeup company. it's about her being smart and using her brain, which i love. my dad used to read this book to me when i was growing up, and he'd read one chapter a night. it's the thing i looked forward to the most. thank you. well, i hope you like my picks. i just bought a bag full of more books to read.

yeah, that's it. i think they're good. i think you're going to like them. >> nice, i love it. huge thanks to mindy. you should add her latest book "why not me" to your list. >> great book. >> really good. we also have mindy's picks on our website, today.com. they asked us to come up with our favorite book. i love "orgphan train." it's about two generations of women who were orphans, but completely different decades, but how they come together and finding family and survival. >> how about you? >> i shook it up. the question was the highlight or the books that marked your 2015. here's the deal when you have three kids, these two books we read every single night. i kept it real with you. "pete the cat" at the end, he says, i have different shoes. do you cry? goodness no. i say to my kids, do you cry?

goodness no! >> every pete the kid, i sing the song. ♪ i love my white shoes >> absolutely. >> mine is the third book of the ken follett trilogy series. it's the first one happens around world war i. the second is around world war ii. this happens around vietnam era. all of these lives intertwine. it's so good. i did travel with this one. >> yours? >> it's if the t"the world and me." it is absolutely fantastic. beautifully written. >> let's do an exchange. >> dylan, you talk about this on the weekends. >> it's a letter he wrote to his 15-year-old son in the wake of what we've seen in this country over the past year.

the violence we've seen. anyway, it's a fascinating read. >> cheers, guys. >> thank you. >> we should do a book club more often. >> we should. up next, bob harper has the skinny on beginning the new year in a healthy way. tips, as well. first, this is "today" on nbc.

back now at 8:44. nbc's "the biggest loser" returns monday night. the theme of the season, temptation. there will be new twists to keep the challenges fresh. >> we've changed the house. >> whoa. >> we've changed that gym. >> oh. >> we've even changed me. >> really? >> because this season, i'm not just training you, i'm your new host. >> yay! >> the crowd goes wild.

bob harper is here with us on this new year's eve. >> they were excited. >> you've been with the show from the beginning. from training and, as you mentioned, the host. how has it been? >> really exciting this year. i have been on the show since season one. being the host of the show, i really wanted to bring my passion, my flavor into this show, and it was a lot of work and a lot of fun. >> temptation is the theme this year. >> that's right. we are facing every single temptation you would face in the real world. money, food, luxury, time restraints, which i'm sure you know. you have a busy schedule. >> how do you respond to one of the criticisms of the show, that it is too extreme? >> i would just say that our show is meant to wake you up and to inspire you. of course, it's extreme. we're doing a reality show. but what i have found is that people get something from our audience, from our contestants, and that's what we want. we want you to be inspired.

get up off the sofa and move around a little bit. >> you are not a fan of folks who make the new year's resolutions to lose weight. >> i hate new year's resolutions because no one ever -- it never lasts. it sets people up for failure. it's like, they're going, it's january 1st, i'm going to change everything. i'll go to the gym every day. the gyms will be packed. after a couple weeks, all those people will go back to their old ways. i want you to focus on 30 days. don't think -- >> not 365? >> give me 30 days. >> 30 days of what? >> i would say, cut out all sugary drinks. that means when you go to the soft f coffee shops, don't get the frozen mocha lattes, whatever they are, energy drinks, stay away from sugary drinks. >> for 30 days. what else? >> i think what's going to happen is you'll feel better because you have all the crap out of your body. and you're going to be more likely to sustain that because you're going to reap the

benefits. >> what about exercise? >> i'm a big cross fitter. i do it all the time. >> i know. >> i recommend it all the time. i tell people, for this month, find some sort of exercise program that you would like to do. cross fit, soul cycle, whatever the case may be, three times a week. >> group exercise? >> it brings you with like minded people. it's like, you're more likely to keep going with it because you're going to make friends, you're going to be with people doing the same thing. misery loves company. >> one of the things i found is it helps with the accountability, when you have somebody on the bike next to you, where were you today? i didn't see you. >> exactly. that's a good benefit. >> and you also say folks should consider changing their diet, as well. >> always. when it comes to changing your body, it's all about diet. >> what should we be doing? >> i want people to eat more vegetables. in the 30 days, why don't you make sure that for six days a week, you incorporate some sort

of vegetable to every meal you're eating? you're going to fill up on good, fibrous foods. you'll feel better, and i mean, it's naturally going to be low in calories. no one is going to get fat eating broccoli. >> true. biggest mistake folks make when they make the new year's resolutions. >> they try to change too many things. they set themselves up for failure. give yourself a break. find one thing to focus on the month of january. stick with it. it's 30 days out of your life. you're going to feel so much better. >> bob harper, good to see you. >> you, too. >> the season premiere of "the biggest loser," next monday, 9:00/8:00 central. if you're planning to have folks over tonight, some tips. first, this is "today" on nbc.

the republicans in harrisburg were fighting each other over the state budget. that's right. each other. the republican state senate passed a responsible budget that "begins" to fund education but the republican house of representatives has insisted on a budget that fails to fund education and balloons the deficit. call your legislator, tell them to pass a budget that's right for pennsylvania.

back at 8:50. you don't have to hit the town tonight to have a good time. last-minute ideas to add sparkle to your stay at home celebration. i love what you've done. happy new year already. >> happy new year. >> we have the countdown clocks going throughout here. that's the theme. >> we'll have a drop the ball party at home. >> perfect. >> wonderful ideas if you are staying home with family and friends. >> that's what i'm doing tonight. this is perfect timing. >> so am i. >> i love this.

this is the flower centerpiece at your table, but also the ball theme. >> exactly. all this is is a floral foam sphere. burgundy carnations, the grocery store flower. easy and anyone can don't. it adds a wow pafactor to the party. >> fantastic statement. >> the cocktails, i love to serve a signature drink to the adults who come over. tonight, we're having clock tails. >> i like that. >> it's fun. i'll show you how i made it. you have a number here, and all this is is a sticker. decals. stickers from a craft store. >> peel them off. >> you peel it off. i'm going to do the 7, and you do the 3. we'll see how easy this is. >> right. >> they're stickers. you stick them on the champagne glass. >> meanwhile, you have on the tray -- mine is crooked. >> it's good. it's a great way for guests to know what drink is theirs the entire evening. >> you have the clock

configuration. i love it. fantastic. >> and a great dessert to bring, this is wonderful. we've done clock cakes. you can pick up a store bought cake at a grocery store, then craft store numbers imitating the clock. if you want, you can do the ice k numb -- icing numbers yourself. >> even i can do that. >> we can't forget about champagne. do it yourself. so easy. i used a craft glue, modje-p modje-podge. >> you can use the bloom of your choice. also a hostess gift if you're going somewhere, glitter it, go to the party with it. it'll be a hit. >> perfect. >> look at these cup cakes. they're amazing. i'll take some home. >> we can send them home with

you. >> how do we do this? >> we can't forget about the kids. it's great to give your kids an activity. white cupcakes. this is edible silver glitter. you sprinkle it on. i love a metallic cupcake wrapper. it was the key to the sparkle. an oreo truffle ball. >> to create the ball dropping look there. >> it imitates the ball. we'll paint this on, all edible. >> you can find this glittery paint. >> in the craft store. pick it up for the evening. then we'll put the lollipop stick in here and pop it on the cupcake. >> kids love oreo. so festive. hors d'oeuvres, appetizers. this is adorable. tuxedo cheese slices. >> if you don't want to dress up, you can dress up your cheese and crackers for the season. >> right. >> so you take a round cracker,

any thinly sliced cheese. for the buttons and the bow tie, black olive. easy. go ahead if you want to help me, we can make one. >> you're assuming i'm crafty. >> you can tie the bow tie. three olive buttons. >> very cute. great. >> now he's all dressed up. >> last but not least, you have to leave our guests, dylan, craig and sheinelle, favors. >> the black-eyed peas for good luck. >> i love sending guests home with black-eyed peace. also a great opportunity for leftover holiday ribbon. we can all use a little good luck in the new year. a great parting gift. >> great idea. >> happy new year. >> cheers. >> happy new year. >> great job. >> thank you. >> by the way, the recipes and

ideas are on our website, today.com/food. we're back after your local news. we're not sure

good morning. i'm tracy davidson. let's get you updated with the first alert forecast with brittney shipp. >> temperatures today will stay once again above average but still be cold if you stay out late for the fireworks tonight at the river rink and sugarhouse casino. here's a close look at our current temperatures.

43 degrees in aunt, 45 in pottstown, 49 in philadelphia. your city planner shows our temperatures don't budge must. 1:00 p.m. 50 degrees. we start to top back down by 4:00 p.m. with temperatures at 48. today's high will range between 50 and 53 degrees. breezy conditions will stick around. >> community groups are calling for action from philadelphia's new mayor days before his inauguration. they announced their platform called the first 99 days of mayor kenny outside of city hall yesterday. they want him to enact policies. they address equal education, opportunity, healthy and safe communities. immigration reform and fair work. kenny has said there's one thing he plans to do day one make philadelphia a safe-haven for undocumented immigrants. >> chip kelly left philadelphia yesterday. he was fired on tuesday. offensive coordinator pat

shermer well act as interim coach. we're hours away from the new year. at the shore people will be ringing in 2016 at the first night celebration in ocean city. the whole free new year's eve event is now in its 24th year. there are performances, ice skating, rides sold out at midnight big fireworks show. in philadelphia there are two fireworks shows one at 6:00 and one at midnight at pen's landing. see it on nbc 10 and on nbc10.com. that life is is lived.

don't let them pass you by. jump into them. immerse yourself in them. ♪ because it's the nows that make the journey worthwhile. the wild atlantic way. 1500 miles of extraordinary nows. jump into ireland. visit ireland.com to find out more.

in morning on "today's take," we'll look at our events from 2015. plus, the most buzzed about commercia commercials of the year. and cocktail hacks and downloadable apps that will have you ringing in 2016 in style. coming up now. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today's take" with al roker, natalie morales, willie geist and tamron hall, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. ♪ put my hands up, they're playing my song, the butterflies fly away ♪ >> sing it, dylan. >> this song will keep me up until midnight tonight. it's a party everywhere.

australia already rang it? >> an hour ago. >> it's girl's morning. >> we can switch to champagne. >> we demand champagne dplaglas >> let's start right now. why not? it's going to be a long day. ring it in now. i'm natalie along with dylan. willie, tamron and al -- actually, willie and tamron enjoying time off. al is getting ready for the rose bowl parade tomorrow. >> his 19th time doing the rose parade. incredible. >> amazing man. beautiful tradition. we'll be watching al tomorrow morning if i can pry my eyes open. >> it won't happen if you start drinking champagne now. >> we demand champagne. obviously, one of the big stories everybody is talking about this morning, and we were talking about it earlier, somewhat surreal that it's finally come to this, but bill

cosby has been charged now. criminally charged. he walked into a courtroom yesterday to face a felony charge of aggravated indecent assault. he was set free on $1 million bail. he's now at his home. his accuser is a temple university employee, andrea constand, back in 2004 at cosby's pennsylvania home. she says she agreed to take pills and drink wine, but then she felt frozen and paralyzed as cosby allegedly performed sexual acts against her wishes. there's no criminal charges at that time. she did file a civil suit in 2005. it was settled a year later. earlier, we had cosby's attorney on. one of his attorneys on, monique pressley. she spoke to savannah. >> a lot of people will say, if he's not guilty, why would he have settled a case with her? obviously, there is a difference between a civil case and criminal case, but a person watching at home thinks, if you

think someone is lying, why do you pay them money? why do you settle? >> i don't really think that's what people at home think. i think that the people at home are much more savvy than that, and they have to deal with situations in their own lives where they have people who are threatening them. who are threatening to come after their homes or their lifestyle or their work or their reputation or their career. decades of whatever it is they've done in their own capacities. they know there are times it's wise to settle claims rather than fight them. especially if you believe everything you're working for will be lost. this may have been one of those times. >> it's a big story in 2015 and it'll continue to be in 2016. the preliminary hearing january 14th. if found guilty, he could face up to ten years behind bars. cosby'stori attorneys intended mount a vigorous defense against

the unjustified charge, and they say he'll be exonerated by a court of law. >> you talk about it being surreal. for our generation, it's hard for us to remove what we know. >> dr. huxtable. >> american dad for so many years, for so long. then to see this story play out. >> right. >> it's hard to remove the view you had of him and hear all the stories coming out, to see him trip when he walked out of the car yesterday. >> a lot of people felt that when you saw him trip and stumble, and you wanted to feel compassion. obviously, he's innocent until proven guilty. i think everybody at that moment felt somewhat sad. >> right. >> for the whole story. we feel sad for the alleged victims, as well. we'll see what happens. it'll be an ongoing story in the new year, for sure. >> for sure. >> on a lighter note, let's talk about commercials. >> i love commercials.

i think i was one of those frustrated. if i could have been an ad executive in a previous life, i probably would have been. >> oh, i could have come up with good things. there are so many commercials you like seeing. we had barbara, an editor at media post.com, on earlier today. she gave us favorites across the board. you loved the amazon commercial. >> i love this idea of amazon prime, delivering right away, but they have this lonely horse commercial. adorable. ♪ ♪ little man, when you stand by my side and i know i don't have to hide from anyone ♪ >> sunny and cher. the song makes it. when you're lonely, go on amazon prime and order a companion horse. >> the horse looks smaller outside in the field than in her

living room. >> it's great. i love that commercial. adorable. >> it's right on. amazon prime, you can pretty much find anything on amazon and it comes the next day. >> it's right there. i love -- there are so many ads online now, that you wait and count down the five seconds before you can skip the ad. >> yes. >> geico's genius advertising department came up with the unskippable ad. take a look. >> don't thank me. thank the savings. >> you can't skip this geico ad because it's already over. geico, 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance. >> you don't want to look away. >> watch the dog eat the plate of mashed potatoes. then i was watching it to see who would twitch or if the kids would get out of character. >> they don't. >> i would be cracking up. >> it goes on for three minutes. i watched the whole thing a couple times. and you can skip it. >> genius.

we also love google androids' friends forever. take a look. ♪ robin hood and little john walking through the forest, laughing back and forth at what the other has to say ♪ >> cute song, cute animals. >> baby animals. what could go wrong? adorable. ♪ golly, what a day >> i love it. i don't know what it's for, but i love it. >> google android. there are so many things that people send you or you see on facebook, or there's this new hot have you had owe, and they're all associated with baby animals. >> exactly, i'm watching. i'm in. a lot of people are playing -- have you played this emoji game? >> i have, and i realized -- >> to predict your new year. >> i use all my emojis wrong. >> i'm not an emoji person. i was surprised looking at my emoji history, what came up. i swear there were some i never

used. >> take the top 12 most used emojis and match them to the months in 2016. it is to predict how your year will go. yours, you were spectacle, but yours is interesting. >> i'm very spectacle. here we go. >> january, winkling. i don't know what's happening there. >> are you camping in february? >> it's a purse. i never used a purse emoji, but i am looking for a new purse. maybe i'll get it to february. >> famarch is weird. got things mixed up. can we look at august? what happens? >> we have the olympics in rio. the brazilian flag. i was doing it more because i was half brazilian. >> it's eery. >> it is. >> what about yours? >> january is going to start off not good. i didn't know what was a crying emoji. i thought it was, i'm laughing

so hard that i'm crying. >> it is. >> exactly. but i'm being told it means you're devastating crying. >> really? okay. >> i don't know what october is. swimming in december. i don't -- i don't know. i still use the colon and the close parenthesis. >> there is no science to that whatsoever. it's another bogus thing. >> it's fun though. >> have fun with it. >> fun to do. >> you're going to do the weather, too? you're double duty. >> squeezing in as much as i can today. >> everywhere, dylan. >> letting me do it all on the last day of the year. we are focusing on some of the flooding going on through missouri and, eventually, the focus will shift to arkansas. it takes a while for all the rain we saw the past couple of days to filter through the smaller streams and make its way to the mississippi. we'll see more of a flooding threat near arkansas through the weekend. there are now 43 locations with major flooding, and this is going to be an issue for a while. not only do you hit the crest, but then you have to wait for all the water to recede.

in the southeast, it's the falling rain creating the flooding problems. we have moisture streaming in off the gulf of mexico. could see flooding because of the heavier downpours, and that would lead to flash flooding. that will continue to shift down into northern florida as we go >> hi. i'm meteorologist brittney shipp. as we read into the rest of the day our temperatures will range between 50 and 53 degrees. some sunshine, we'll see more sunshine as we head towards the afternoon. breezy and mild. wind out of the northwest 10 to 20 miles per hour that will stick around for new year's eve. temperatures around midnight 38 degrees feeling more like 35. we cool things down heading right into the weekend. take a look at next week. our daytime highs drop to the 30s. happy new year. >> that's your latest forecast. >> thank you. coming up, we'll take a look back at the year that was. all the news events and celebrities that defined 2015. after these messages.

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2015 saw highs and lows, especially in a lot of the news stories that grabbed headlines. >> here to help us reflect on the year that was, joe, contributing editor at "rolling stone" and host of "incoming" on spotify. good morning. >> good morning. >> let's start with bill cosby. >> you were just talking about it moments ago. here was a story we were talking about this time last year. we're talking about it today. free on bail, charged with second degree assault in a pennsylvania courtroom. this is a story we'll probably be talking about this time next year, as well. >> absolutely. >> all right. >> it was such a sad year, with all the shootings and the gun violence. >> unfortunately, we had far too many shootings to talk about. far, far too many. in charleston, south carolina, nine killed in a church. on live tv in virginia, a

cameraman and a news reporter killed. just -- >> san bernardino most recently. >> of course, colorado springs, three killed there. the paris attacks, as well, both in january and then recently. just this month. >> sadly, it seems, it's not going to end either. >> no. >> moving over now to -- actually, a symbol of peace. the pope's first visit to the united states. uplifting moment. >> he stopped in washington, d.c. where he described himself as the son of immigrants. he was here in new york, mass for 20,000 in times square. then on to philadelphia where he talked about america as a land of religious tolerance and freedom. >> a moment we needed. >> absolutely. uplifted our year. >> a lot of politics. shy man by the name of donald trump took headlines. >> i'm unfamiliar with who you mean. he did take headlines. he announced his candidacy descending on his escalator. he didn't take it seriously then, waiting for it to end.

still ahead in the polls. a recent cnn poll of republicans puts him ahead of ted cruz. 39% to 18% for cruz. we'll see what happens in february when we finally get to iowa and new hampshire. >> who could have predicted this a year ago? >> donald trump. i think he's probably the only one. >> absolutely. >> it's going to be fabulous. >> huge. also, hillary clinton looking pretty good, as she's putting her husband, former president bill clinton, on the campaign trail. >> guess who had something to say about that? donald trump. >> as we've heard here on our program. >> hillary said recently that donald trump has a penchant for sexism. he insulted hillary. donald trump has a, i'm rubber, you're glue philosophy. he's saying, you're married to bill clinton. i'm not sure what it means but let's look for it to heat up in 2016. >> absolutely. >> now to pop culture.

>> lighter moments. >> this is a huge year for girls. >> we love that. >> and women, i guess. >> let's call them women. let's call them powerful women on television, in the movies, in music. we're talking about jamie alexander on "blindspot." melissa on "super girl." henson in "empire." amy schumer jumped to the big screen with "train wrecker." an unknown singer, adele, who made an impression this year, breaking records, shattering records. took her three days to have the biggest selling record in 2015. that's amazing. >> it's going to be her year in 2016 with her concerts, as well. >> it is indeed. one of the hottest tickets out there. >> absolutely. >> a little movie called "star wars." >> i've seen it twice. i'm ready to go back for a third time. i'm obsessed with it. >> you're part of the reason it became the fastest movie to earn $1 billion at the global box office in 12 days.

>> awesome. >> everyone loves this movie. >> it's girl power, too. >> it is. >> it's true. >> daisy, i love her. >> everyone loves this movie except for george lucas. >> you're kidding me. >> he complained he saw "star wars" as a family soap opera and disney made it into a movie about spaceships. i'm not sure exactly. i like it. >> i loved it. >> it was awesome. >> quickly, we have to mention, caitlyn jenner. >> of course, a big year for caitlyn jenner. on the cover of "vanity fair," getting a courage award at the espys. at the espys, she said, a few months ago, i never met a trans person. she was giving that opportunity to a lot of america right then. it was a wonderful and amazing thing. >> fascinating 2015. >> see what 2016 looks like. >> it'll be a good one. >> thank you so much. coming up next, what to download so you can have an appy new year. get it? first, these huh.

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thank you boys. you're welcome. you're welcome. [ male announcer ] happy holidays from our family to yours. i love christmas! from our family to yours. iand i'm jerry bell the third. i'm like a big bear and he's my little cub. this little guy is non-stop. he's always hanging out with his friends. you've got to be prepared to sit at the edge of your seat and be ready to get up. there's no "deep couch sitting." definitely not good for my back. this is the part i really don't like right here. (doorbell) what's that? a package! it's a swiffer wetjet. it almost feels like it's moving itself. this is kind of fun. that comes from my floor? eww! this is deep couch sitting. [jerry bell iii] deep couch sitting! mid-90's showstopper... you're right. it's time to set this bird free. ♪ hot blooded, check it and see...♪ ♪ got a fever of 103... feelin' hungry? how 'bout a donut? ♪ i'm hot blooded..i'm hot blooded! ♪

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with 2016 just hours away, we're all thinking hard about the changes that we want to make in the new year and whether it's getting in shape, saving money, learning how to decress, astres things i want to do, there's an app for that. >> we've called in the founder of cool moms tech to narrow down the list and have an appy new year. good morning. >> hi, guys. appy new year. >> we'll use that as much as we can. >> we'll say it over and over again. >> so many people's resolution is to stay fit, be healthier. there is an app for that. >> unless you're bob harper. what does he have on his list? >> right. >> i love lark. the free app for ios and android. what's different about it, it acts like your friend. the virtual companion. you can talk to it. >> it's texting you? >> gives you support. i walked here to the stud oio a it's saying, good job. it uses the sensors. look how much sleep i got. ten hours.

how is that possible? >> amazing. >> all my activity. >> how does it monitor your sleep? >> when you put the phone down, it's assuming you're sleeping or binge watching netflix. >> same thing. >> it's supportive. not nitty getty with the calorie counting. >> finance, i need this app. who doesn't love to save more, spend less? >> we've done a lot of mother apps but what's different about level money is it taps into your spending. when you safely sync about your bank account, it's going to show you exactly what you've been spending your money on. i'm an amazon fan. if you've been spending hundreds of dollars on coffee every month, you might not have known that. it'll show you. it taps into all of your bank account and your bills and gives you a spendable amount. it's kind of like a goal that you want to stay under, whether it's daily, monthly or weekly. >> level money.

download it now. >> one of my biggest problems is my e-mail. i have signed up for so many e-mails, it's like 20% off here, 30% off here. it fills up and i lose track of the good e-mails. >> my phone had 111,000 e-mails. i need unroll.me. it's been around a while, but they just launched their iop app. it is fantastic. so you sync your e-mail. i use our pod cast, and it brings up our news and e-mail subscriptions. it lets you swipe left to unsubscri unsubscribe. >> i love it. >> kind of like a dating app for e-mail. >> amazing. >> breaking up with you, bloomingdales. >> it lets you roll up, the button in the middle, gives you a daily digest of everything you want to keep. >> great. >> we have time for one more? nope, we don't. >> real quick. it helps you destress. >> it's a medication app, stop, breathe, think.

it gives you custom meditations based on how you're feeling. >> amazing. thank you so much. >> happy new year. coming up, automated voice: to file a claim, please state your name. carnie wilson. thank you. can you hold on? ♪ hold on for one more day really? hey, i know there's pain. why do you lock yourself up in these chains? ♪ this would be so easy if you had progressive. our mobile app would let you file a claim and help you find one of our service centers where we manage the entire repair process. things will go your way if you hold on. [ sighs ] someday somebody's gonna make you wanna turn around and say goodbye. ♪ say goodbye no, you just made it weird. after trying brookside chocolate, people talk about it online. love at first taste. i would liquefy it and bathe in it. curse you, brookside! your nefarious plans have succeeded. nefarious? are we still talking about chocolate? brookside. talk about delicious. after trying brookside crunchy clusters, @carlybeyar tweeted: at this point, i should just be a brookside chocolate ambassador.

well, i am sorry, carly... it's something you earn. brookside. ing? >> good morning. i'm lauren mayk. let's get your first alert 401-k's from brittney shipp. >> temperatures will stay in the low 50s today and then we'll cool down tomorrow. here's a closer look at your new year's eve forecast. by 10:00 a.m. 42 degrees, by midnight 38. wind chill will make it feel cooler than that out. if you're heading out the door sooner temperatures are at 49 degrees in philadelphia, 48 in mount holly, 50 degrees in atlantic city, low 50s in wildwood and the high today between 50 and 53 degrees. thanks. it is new year's eve and in just a few hours some of philadelphia's top leaders are

meeting to talk about how you can stay safe tonight. police commissioner charles ramsey and district attorney seth williams will issue what's become an annual reminder about celebrating safely tonight especially when it comes to guns. they are using joe as an example. he was 11 years old when he almost died from celebratory gunfire in 1998 and he still has a bullet lodged in his head. philly is getting ready to ring in 2016. two fireworks show at penns landing one at 6:00 p.m. and you'll see that here live. the best view for the midnight fireworks that may be your cell phone. we'll be streaming the show live on nbc 10 and nbc10.com and nbc 10 app. of course it wouldn't be new year's day without the mummers. they practiced last night and the parade steps off at 9:00 tomorrow morning. i'm lauren mayk. we'll have a another update in 25 minutes. of course you can get the latest

news and weather with our nbc 10 news app. have a great day.

taking a look at the headlines. the ball has not even dropped yet for 2016, but the irs is already thinking about next year's tax returns. the 2016 tax season will kick off on january 19th, when the irs will start accepting individual returns. it expects more than 4 out of 5 taxpayers to e-file their returns. the filing deadline for most americans is april 18th. microsoft says it will start warning e-mail customers if it suspects a government has been trying to hack into their accounts. the policy change came after two former microsoft employees concluded china had been behind a hacking campaign a few years ago, and said the company decided not to tell more than 1,000 users whose accounts were hacked. it follows recent moves by facebook, twitter and yahoo!

at&t plans to stop offering two-year contracts early in the new year. starting january 8th, at&t customers will only be able to get new phones by paying the few price or paying in monthly installments. verizon and sprint got rid of wireless contracts a few months ago. if you're counting calories tonight, why would you do that, but be mindful about what you eat and drink. experts say it would take 35 minutes of racqueracquetball to off the calories of one margarito. it would take 45 minutes of moderate intensity exercise to burn off a medium peppermint mocha. we still have several hours to go before we ring in the new year in the u.s., but in other parts of the world, celebrations are underway already. this is a scene in new zealand, one of the first countries to usher in the new year. in australia, the party started a little early. a special fireworks display held

at sydney harbor at 9:00 p.m. local time. aimed at families that couldn't stay up. and a second show went off at midnight. beautiful display, as always. let's move over to dylan for a check of the we >> hi. i'm meteorologist brittney shipp. as we read into the rest of the day our temperatures will range between 50 and 53 degrees. some sunshine, we'll see more sunshine as we head towards the afternoon. breezy and mild. wind out of the northwest 10 to 20 miles per hour that will stick around for new year's eve. temperatures around midnight 38 degrees feeling more like 35. we cool things down heading right into the weekend. take a look at next week. our daytime highs drop to the 30s. happy new year. tonight is the big night. if you dropped the ball on planning your new year's eve party, no need to panic. >> there's more time. justin, host of food and wine's mad genius tips is back with

quick and easy recipes to pop the cork on a night of fun. welcome back. >> fun, indeed. thank you for having me. >> i love this idea. beautiful cotton candy and champagne, i'm already drinking. >> two amazing things. we'll combine them into something extraordinary. it's going to be a champagne cockta cocktail. you're going to take some of the cotton candy, the delicious, sweet cotton candy, lay it in the glass. >> okay. >> all the way in. >> then we're going to pour champagne on top. >> is it going to dissolve? >> it'll dissolve. >> i feel like you want to pour that in front of people. >> it's a magic trick. you can even garnish the glass like you see here. it adds this pink hue. >> sweet. >> cheers. >> we've been waiting all day for champagne. >> you can also present you're serving rosette because it changes in color. >> it adds a nice sweetness. >> next, we have a neat way of shaking a cocktail. a lot of people don't have shakers. >> i don't have a shaker.

>> add this in here, lemon juice, and ice, of course. pop the top on, make sure it's tight. >> any portable bottle could work. >> anything with a lid that has a tight seal. >> i like the tin because you get the sound. the same effect. >> clearly, not enough in here for me. >> it was a weak drink. we'll work on it. >> definitely. >> this was a fantastic idea. >> you were telling me you were making sangria. >> a lot of people think it's more of a summer drink, but you can do it in the winter, as well. >> exactly. >> you'll freeze the fruit? >> we're doing a winter one. the reason we're able to do that is because citric is in season in the winter. we slice it or cut it into wedges, put it on a baking sheet, freeze it until firm. we're ugoing to add grape juice tangerine juice, whatever you

want. simple syrup. you see this frozen fruit. it's going to keep it cool all throughout the night. it even works as a beautiful garnish. >> love that. >> pop it in there. >> great idea. >> keeping with the frozen garnish theme, martinis, so often, it takes a long time to drink a good martini. >> it's a sipper. >> you freeze the garnishes. >> exactly. right on these skewers. pop them on a plate. put them in the freezer until frozen, like the fruit. check these beautiful frozen cocktails. >> i don't want to lose a tooth, bite into it. >> it'll keep it cold. thank you so much. happy new year to you. >> thank you so much. >> before -- sorry. coming up next, the features get going. >> something you don't want to miss. the afters when we reveal the

transformations. they reshaped their bodies for 2016. 2016. right after these made a simple tripvere chto the grocery storeis anything but simple. so finally, i had an important conversation with my dermatologist about humira. he explained that 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 saw 75% skin clearance. and the majority 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.

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for a cleaner, fresher, brighter denture every day. for the last 16 weeks, we followed three "today" show viewers on their journey to fitness to 2016. >> how far have they come? today. they're going to ring in a happier, healthier new year, thanks to their lovely coach, joy bauer. good morning. >> good morning. >> they've been a remarkable dream team. >> get ready. you won't believe it. >> transformation is amazing. let's start off with mary jean. 16 weeks ago, 196.5 pounds, starting weight. that was her before picture. mary jean is now down to 159.5 pounds. a total loss of 37 pounds. mary jean, come on out, girl!

[ applause ] >> incredible. >> wow. >> look at that waist, right? by the way -- >> look at that dress. >> -- she's lost 20 inches from head to toe. >> walk the carpet, mary jean. >> look at your waist. >> incredible. >> next up, we have rochelle who, in the beginning of this whole thing, weighed in at 173 pounds. just 16 weeks ago. now, she's down to 143 pounds. total loss of 30 pounds. rochelle -- >> incredible. >> -- come on out! >> 16 weeks. >> wow! [ applause ] >> oh, my goodness. >> by the way, rochelle also has lost 22 inches from head to toe off her body. >> look at you. >> look at the muscles. >> wow. >> finally, ken started out at 221 pounds in the beginning of the journey. now, weighs in at 189.5 pounds. he lost a total of 31.5 pounds. ken, let's see how you're looking. come on out.

[ applause ] >> look at that. >> handsome. he has trimmed 28 inches off of his entire body. >> oh, my gosh. >> high-five! >> whole new suit for you. >> unbelievable. >> by the way, you hear a lot of cheering and clapping. their families are here. big support system. >> wow. >> clearly, it comes to good coaching, as well. joy, what was the secret to this incredible success? >> i think, first off, they were psychologically ready. 50% of it is really a can-do attitude, and they had that. secondly, you all trusted me. i told you what to do, and you followed through. i think that you can validate to everybody that you don't have to exercise five hours a day. they were eating delicious food but learned how to prepare it in better for you ways. they were sneaking in exercise when they could. they lost significant amounts of weight and dramatically enhanced their health. i'm so proud of you. >> mary jean, you seem

emotional. >> i am. >> it's been an emotional journey. long and hard, but so rewarding for you, right? >> very rewarding. i'm thrilled. i can't believe that it's here, today is here, and that we've all been so successful. >> yeah. >> you're going to continue on the path? >> definitely. >> good health. >> more to go. >> what were some of the challenges that -- are you surprised you passed through them and have gotten to this point? >> i think the important thing for me was, and i mentioned this to joy, we all think we know what we know, and i confessed i didn't know anything. the moment i completely trusted joy, this happened. >> amazing. >> joy! making us all cry. >> ken, what was it for you that worked, and what do you think would help viewers at home, struggling with their weight, too? >> for me, it was consistency. finding a routine, sticking to it, day in and day out. resolving to do this. i was ready to make the change. >> consistent. >> all your families. >> 2016, what better time to

inspire people? everybody watching can do this. >> with all the weight you guys have lost, the "today" show promised to donate food to families in need, and we are now going to donate more than 17,000 meals. >> because of you. because of you. >> to feeding america. [ applause ] >> whew! >> a little warning would be nice, guys. >> well done. >> happy new year! >> congratulations. happy new year. >> you all look amazing. i have to give you all hugs. >> final look back at the fun we had, including with these guys. >> wonderful. >> you did it! >> thank you, joy. [ applause ] i don't have like a pair of jeans i'm trying to get into; i've been down that road honey child. and i don't have like a dress or some big red carpet thing i have to do. im really just looking at 2016,

as the year of my best body; that's what i want for you too. lets let 2016 be the year of our best bodies.

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your concert tee might show your age... your skin never will. olay regenerist. olay. ageless. new year's eve is a sober time to reflect on what it is we hope to accomplish. our goals, aspirations, dreams for the future. >> it can be sober. or to look back at a bunch of the ridiculous things you did this past year. i had a great time in 2015 with al, tamron, willie and, of course, dylan. she filled in often. here's a look at some of the laughs we shared. >> driving! >> birthday. >> this is a trump wig. >> wow. >> i felt it. hold on. >> we made it. ♪ looks like we've made it >> there was a lot of fun. >> chaos.

sweet, wonderful chaos. >> uncertainty was the buzzword. >> oh, no! >> every day, something epic happened. holy moly. >> i have my two sisters. tamron and natalie. and my brother al. >> this year, we got our groove on. where do we begin? >> tamron likes to think that she's a good dancer. >> we call this the choo choo train. >> as does natalie. willie and i both know we're not good dancers, and we don't pretend to be. >> we love to dance. >> you have to be willing to laugh at yourself, make fun of yourself. >> she's good at the salsa. then this other dancing comes out, and you're like, what is going on there? >> fudge brownies. >> wow me week with three cool . >> yeah! >> my voice drops down sub james

earl jones' darth vader. >> that is unbelievable. >> it was as though i were out of my own body. if you watch the clip, i generally scare myself. >> you need to howl at the moon. >> how's the weather? >> i want to you imagine and believe it's possible to take the dents out of the can. >> tap on it. it's resealed. >> no way. >> oh, come on! amazing. >> that is crazy. >> i'm a sucker for a magic trick. clearly, the viewers saw it that way. >> i swam with sharks. sort of. from behind a wall. they swam and i watched. >> the rokerthon this year was daunting. 50 states in a week's time. it was as exhausting as it was exhilarating. every place we went -- >> i got the goat! >> -- people had goats. like, really? >> got a little chill in the air. only one thing to do, and that is have an ice dancing

competition. >> how does that happen? >> whoa! baby! >> you're mean. >> there you go. >> for the first time in my life, i see the love. >> willie goes urban. >> we did a little audition for john cena, what it takes to be a wwe star. >> looking at the headlines, you're all about to be in a world of pain, because dark natalie is coming for you. >> i was born to brawl, i'm the belle of the ball, i got the guts. >> the forecast for today, pain. i feel a cold front coming in from the east. >> i'll take it, drive it to the canvas, get on the top for the splashdown to finish it. >> i can't get down. help me. >> i'm sorry you had to see this. >> spinning image. >> we were scary. >> wow. >> the feet. >> wawa wawa. >> i love my life! >> the "today" show has evolved.

you can't do the same show we do from 7:00 to 9:00. at 9:00, it's a more conversational program. put my weather to the test. good times. i'll tell you what's going on. >> what usually happens at the end of an hour is you get something delicious. >> willie, get this. >> they win, they got it! >> and something that's hopefully fun, hopefully you'll learn a little something. >> the majority of our job is to report the news. if we can smile and laugh together, it means a lot. >> the one person -- >> oh! >> i'm waving our "today's take" flag. >> what i've learned, as i think our team dunk crew, is we're better when we work together as a team. the "take" team.

>> and that's just 2015. >> wait until next year. >> wait until 2016. it's going to be huge. back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc.

we want to ring in the new year with traditions. did you bring pickle ed herring? >> on january 1st, you have to have it. >> why? >> it's disgusting. you are allowed to hold your nose and swallow. >> what kind of friend are you? >> it's supposed to bring good luck. disgusting. >> awful. >> drink. drink. >> that was awful. >> have some grapes. that's what i

good morning. i'm lauren mayk. it's 9:56 on this new year's eve day. let's get the first alert forecast from brittney shipp. >> a few showers managed to push into the southern part of delaware. keep a close eye on that. cloudy skies and more sunshine towards the afternoon and dry conditions expected for your fireworks tonight at midnight. there's the light showers

working into millsboro. most of the rain is offshore. our current temperatures in philadelphia, 49 degrees, 51 in atlantic city. we have a cooler wind coming in from the northwest. our temperatures won't warm up too much more than what you're seeing now. we're calling for a high today of 52 trees. we'll stay in the low 50s towards the shore. lauren. a north philadelphia family was terrorized by two masked men and police say one of them shot himself in the leg. this happened on north bancroft street around 11:00 last night. a mom and her two young kids were threatened by two masked men. police say the mom was able to identify him and still looking for the other man. the mom and the kids were not hurt. if you don't have the nbc 10 app today is a great day to download it. we'll be streaming the new year's eve fireworks at 6:00 and midnight tonight. i'm lauren mayk.

we'll have another update in about 25 minutes. now back to the "today" show. have a great day and happy new year.

from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb. from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> this is not i-hoda day, at's going on? >> deejay mixing it, baby. >> thirsty thursday, december 31st, 2015, the last time we'll say that. happy new year's eve, everybody. >> i feel like it's the same song over and over. >> yeah. he's going to be spinning tunes all hour. so we're going to turn this into -- what else you got deejay