we will have local updates throughout the morning. you can get realtime news and weather and traffic with the nbc 10 app. blanketing nearly. good morning. feeling blue. bitter cold temperatures blanketing the u.s. tough talk. president obama vows the u.s. will respond to russ's efforts to interfere withhe this afternoon and completely 10 app. >> we need to take action and we will at a time and place of you are own choosing. >> but with only 34 days left in his presidency, what will that response look like, and what will it mean for america's delicate relationship with moscow? dessert disaster. a canned whipped cream shortage right in the thick of the holiday season. this morning, what's behind it and why it could be weeks before shelves are stocked again.

and seeing green. the seattle seahawks clinch another division title dominating the l.a. rams with an impressive win. but it is those bright neon uniforms that are being called an epic fail "today," friday, december 16th, 2016. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a friday morning. am i the only guy who didn't mind those uniforms? >> you needed sunglasses to watch the game. >> how about this weather? that cross country deep freeze is where we are going to begin this morning. 18 degrees right outside our window on plaza. 18 degrees as well down in washington, d.c. our nation's capital. >> if you head down to chicago, even colder. we've got 14 degrees there, and can we collection out portland, maine for a second?

minus 1 but it feels like minus 22. >> but it is beautiful. it doesn't matter. we'll get to our forecast and al's forecast in a moment. but first, nbc's blake mccoy all bundled up in the windy city. blake, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. it is once again painful to be outside this morning. i have two layers of gloves on and several layers of clothing. we are right in the middle of a one-two arctic punch that will stretch into the weekend. this morning for so much of the country, the arctic temperatures are brutal and sticking around. >> this is cold! >> it's just terrible out here. >> reporter: that frigid air will combine with more snow today and into the weekend for the northern half of the country. millions bracing for another messy morning commute. in pennsylvania, i-80 is back open after white-out conditions led to this 59-car pile-up thursday. in cleveland, demands to clear the snow-covered roads faster.

>> we pay our taxes. we deserve service. >> reporter: while in portland, oregon, already crippled by snow and ice, they're trying to thaw out. >> look out! >> reporter: after this school bus was sent sliding this week, kids used their snow days to take out sleds and slide past it. ♪ christmas is just over a week away with more bad weather coming. shoppers in chicago are not deterred. what in the world are you thinking doing your christmas shopping today? >> it has to get done some time and i won't sleep if i don't get something done. so it's panic. called panic. >> reporter: heating centers are open here in chicago this morning. you can see that snow on the ground behind me. we are about to get even more of it. temperatures are going to warm up just a bit later today. snow is going to fall before we dip back down for that second arctic punch. long story short -- it is going to be a miserable weekend for a lot of the country. guys? >> blake, thank you very much.

outside walking my dog this morning, freezing cold. we've got dave price in for al roker to talk all about it. hey, dave price. >> it is a rough morning through a lot of places all across the country, especially right here in the northeast along the i-95 corridor. you want bad? how about a windchill of 86 below zero at the mount washington observatory? it is going to be a tough go. windchills and advisories, warnings for 25 million people across the country. and the temperatures are just awful but it is the windchills that are the worse t. 2 below in minneapolis. that's just the beginning of what will be a stretch of bad weather. we also have a storm system beginning to work its way across the country stretching from the rockies all the way into the plains working its way towards the east coast. a possibility of some severe thundershower activity as we head to saturday in the lower mississippi valley. we'll keep an eye open for that. then snow and rain as we head

into the northeast through the weekend. keep in mind we could get up to six to ten inches of snow in places like minneapolis. it is going to be a rough 72 hours. back to you. >> dave, see you in a couple of minutes. thanks very much. also this morning, president obama is vowing to take action against russia after u.s. intelligence determined vladimir putin had a direct hand in an effort to disrupt our presidential election. we have complete coverage starting with nbc's kristen welker at the white house. hi, kristen, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, matt. president-elect trump hasn't yet said how or if he will respond to mounting evidence russia intervened in the u.s. presidential election but the current commander in chief is set to hold one of his final news conferences here at the white house today and is now rebuking russia in its strongest terms yet, even promising action. overnight, president obama vowing to retaliate against russia. >> i think there's no doubt that when any foreign government

tries to impact the integrity of our elections, that we need to take action and we will at a time and place of our own choosing. some of it may be explicit and publicized. some of it may not be. >> reporter: those strong words coming one day after nbc news first reported u.s. intelligence officials believe vladimir putin was personally involved in russia's attempt to interfere in the presidential election. a putin spokesperson calling the report "laughable nonsense," but in an interview with npr, president obama suggesting this is no laughing matter. >> mr. putin is well aware of my feelings about this because i spoke to him directly about it. >> reporter: meanwhile, president-elect trump for the first time isn't disputing russian involvement. instead, training his fire on the current administration tweeting thursday before the obama announcement "if russia or some other entity was hacking, why did the white house wait so long to act? why did they only complain after hillary lost?"

the administration noting it did sound alarms about russia's involvement in october and slamming into trump for seeming to encourage russia to hack clinton's e-mails as a candidate. >> russia, if you're listening, i hope you're able to find the 30,000 e-mails that are missing. >> reporter: while mr. trump later said he was being sarcastic, white house press secretary john earnest took aim thursday. >> nobody at the white house thinks it's funny that an adversary of the united states engaged in malicious cyber activity to destabilize our democracy. >> reporter: trump firing back last night during a rally in pennsylvania. >> although this foolish guy, josh earnest -- i don't know if he's talking to president obama -- you know, having the right press secretary is so important. because he is so bad the way he delivers a message. >> reporter: also this morning been new questions about potential conflict of interest surrounding trump's children.

trump aides hinting ivanka trump and her husband, jared kushner, could join the new administration saying ivanka trump is already calling members of congress to get the ball rolling for child care and paid family leave. while anti-nepotism laws prevent appointing family members to vertly all government jobs, a top trump advisor arguing there may be an exception for staffers. >> president does have discretion to choose a staff of his liking. >> reporter: also thursday, president-elect trump made david friedman as his nominee for ambassador to israel. friedman, a bankruptcy lawyer, has represented trump in the past. he's also been an advocate for policies aligned with the israeli far right that break with decades of american policy there. as for mr. trump, he will end his day in orlando with yet another thank you rally. >> kristen welker at the white house, thank you. so how are the russians and vladimir putin responding? nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel is in moscow this morning. richard, hello.

>> reporter: good morning. this is an escalation from president obama. he's not just accusing president vladimir putin of being involved in the hack, but saying that there will be some sort of retaliation. and if obama's going to oversee that retaliation, he doesn't have a lot of time. but here in moscow, officials don't seem to be taking it very seriously. president vladimir putin is in japan. his spokesman, however, said today that the u.s. either has to present its evidence, stop talking about this, or else it all just looks very indecent. a spokeswoman for the foreign ministry told nbc news that the threats from president obama are against international law and american law. i must say that here in moscow, while no one is admitting that russia was involved, officials at the kremlin do seem to be quite satisfied that there was all of this anger, all of this confusion as the cia is struggling to make its case and

now these comments from president obama. >> richard engel in moscow, thank you. let us bring in this guy right here, chuck todd. chuck, ben cartin senator said whether you attack us with a mig or a mouse, it is an attack. "we'll respond pat a time and place of our own choosing, some may be explicit and publicized. some may not be." what are his options? >> he doesn't have a lot of options. one may be to do something very public, show the evidence, have the great moment where he show almost like a perry mason moment and prove the connection there. the other is to expose him financially. show how interconnected he may be with maybe dirty money. there is a lot of people we've been talking to that indicate that certainly the united states is looking at that. but i have to tell you, i think he's got to do something big and public if he wants it to have an impact before he leaves office. >> yeah.

i got lost. >> does it have to be a response in kind? does a cyber attack warrant a cyber attack in response? >> well, this has been what they have been debating for three months, matt. they've been wringing their hands because they've been worried about a tit for tat. they've been worried do they do cyber? do they respond sort of in an equal way. well, then does that okay the idea of cyber? during the cold war there was this acceptance that, okay, you're going to spy on us a little bit. if this is an accepted form of espionage now going forward, it becomes more dangerous. there is actually a hesitation on the u.s. part not to use cyber. so it is -- i say handcuffed is an understatement. >> sts supposed to be end of the obama administration's time. so whatever president obama does it is going to wind up on trump's plate. do these two guys need to pow wow and get together before anyone makes a move, do you think? >> donald trump has to accept the intelligence briefing before i think they can see eye to eye.

look, there is some political pressure that can be exerted on trump to essentially conform to this or believe the intelligence. that is if he wants to get a secretary of state confirmed, rex tillerson. i think the more he sort of avoids or pushes back against this evidence, the more you're going to have a john mccain, lindsey graham, republicans saying, what are you doing? they'll use -- they'll use tillerson to punish trump. >> just for the whole campaign, he said it is going to be america first, we're going to be tougher on our adversaries. you can't now get this kind of information, this kind of intelligence, and do nothing about it. >> no. it would be extraordinarily weak. that's why trump simply not believing it, then that pushes back the response maybe months, maybe longer than that. so i do think president obama feels pressure to do this. i just don't know if he can do anything that has an impact that donald trump essentially won't rescind. >> chuck, thank you. good to see you. again, we'll hear more about this from president obama during

an afternoon news conference. you can see coverage of that on most nbc stations. meantime, a federal jury took less than two hours to convicted man behind the deadly shooting at an historic church in charleston, south carolina. si dylann roof found guilty on all 33 counts he faces. this morning families of victims are preparing for the next phase of the trial. nbc's gabe gutierrez has the latest. >> reporter: good morning. this case is not over. a highly unusual move, dylann roof now says he wants to represent himself during sentencing, coming face to face with these families again. this morning, dylann roof is facing the possibility of the death penalty after a jury wasted little time finding him guilty of 33 federal counts, including hate crimes. >> i wasn't expecting anything less. i knew it was going to be guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty. refelicia sanders is just 1 of survivors at the charleston

emanuel ame church. she testified how she watched roof murder her 26-year-old son as she clutched her granddaughter under a table. >> i don't think many mothers see their child leave this world. >> reporter: for her husband, anger against roof is even more raw. >> my thoughts were, if i can get to him, what would i do. but the lord kept me from charging or attempting to charge him. >> reporter: during closing arguments, the prosecutor raised his voice in anger calling roof a man of tremendous cowardice who shot his victims while they prayed. >> he's still in here. i'm afraid. he a still in here. >> reporter: as another survivor called 911, other victims tried to stop the carnage. these nine people exemplified a goodness that was greater than his message of hate, the prosecutor said. the defense never disputed the horrific details but tried to bring up roof's mental state.

for the son of reverend daniel simmons was shot at least six times, roof's motivation means little. >> he was starting a race war. but look at what love conquered. look at the unity and how charleston came together. >> reporter: judge warned dylann roof that it was a bad decision to represent himself during sentencing. but the 22-year-old decided to do it anyway. he has until january 3rd to change his mind. matt and hoda? >> gabe gutierrez, thank you so much. the red cross is now saying the evacuation of aleppo is going to take several more days. overnight new convoys. ambulances, vans and buses were seen leaving that war ravaged city. nbc's chief global correspondent bill neely has made his way inside syria. bill, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, guys. another dramatic day here in syria, and more heartbreaking scenes. but right from the start, and for the most innocent among

them, that evacuation didn't go according to plan. as they fled aleppo's ruins, one final trauma. children shot at. it was meant to be a cease-fire, yet still gunmen targeted them as they left the rebel-held east. their terror was clear. their mothers close. nearby, more children escaping with no parents. these are orphans of the war. 47 of them evacuated after pleading with the world to let them out. and they were defiant. "we're leaving aleppo," he says. "but when we grow up, we'll be back to liberate it." from their orphanage they begged for their freedom, led by this 11-year-old. "we're scared," she says. "get us out." nbc news has been following their ordeal for months. in august, two months into the syrian army's siege of aleppo,

jasmine is playing. but her teachers told us she was traumatized. her parents killed by an air strike. the following month she told us -- i hide under the blanket. i'm scared. i want to have my father, to see my mom. when i put my head on my pillow, i read my father prayers. in october, it got worse. the orphans forced to hide underground. the siege tightening. now after six months, it's over. jasmine and all her friends leaving aleppo and their bullet-ridden orphanage. gunfire as they went. the orphans were part of a huge convoy. thousands evacuated as the city fell to president assad's forces. the biggest rebel defeat so far. but not the end of a war. but for some its youngest victims, it's lasted a lifetime. the orphans are san't safe this

morning but they are in another rebel-held area which president assad has vowed to recapture. so their trauma may not be over yet. back to you guys. >> bill neely reporting on this story for us, thank you very much. tributes are pouring in for legendary sportscaster craig sager. known for his vivid personality and flamboyant wardrobe. he died thursday after battling cancer for more than two years. he spent most of his sideline at nba games. so across the league last night players honored him by lining up in "sager strong" t-shirts and other colorful attire. teams also paused for a moment of silence. but in oakland, golden state warriors steve kerr who actually worked with sager for a decade before going into coaching wanted something different. listen. >> we thought it would be more appropriate given the way craig lived his life and the joy that he brought to so many people to have a moment of joy instead.

so i'd like all of you to join me in an applause for a great man and a life well lived. thank you. [ cheers and applause ] >> sager was inducted into the sports broadcasting hall of fame just last week. he was 65 years old. he is survived by his wife and five children. >> what a beautiful, beautiful tribute. that little moment. wow. beautiful. dave price. >> our condolences, by the way, to his family. >> dave is in for al. hey, dave. you all right? >> i'm freezing. and so are many people across the country right now. let's go to the map and see what's happening all across the usa today. looks like snow is spreading across from the rockies all the way to the great lakes, headed towards the northeast. it is cold in the northeast with windchills in the single digits to below zero. good time to be in the sunshine state where there is lots of sun and temperatures are ten degrees above the norm. that's a quick look at our national maps. national maps.

♪ i said i really can't stay ♪ baby it's cold outside ♪ i have to go away ♪ baby it's cold outside ♪ i really can't stay ♪ baby it's cold outside! you never know who you'll meet at barnes & noble. good morning. i'm meteorologist bill henley. bundle up, wicked cold temperatures this morning, we will slow climb into the 20s but the wind will still be present so even this afternoon you will feel the windchill in philadelphia. everyone will be dry and enough sunshine to warm the suburbs, philadelphia and new jersey up into the upper 20s. closer to 30 degrees at the shore. below freezing in the lehigh valley but dry and you will see sunshine and a few clouds in delaware. have a great day and do your

best to stay barm. >> that's a quick look at your weather, folks. >> tweets pouring in from del boca vista. coming up, why president-elect trump is facing calls to give up his glamorous new hotel in washington and his new twist in the legal battle of a celebrity chef that bailed on that project. coming up on "rossen reports," can this device literally sniff out the presence of meat, poultry or fish in your fridge? is we'll check it t. but fiours ♪

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nbc 10 news starts now. good morning. i'm rows mary connors, it's just a few minutes before 7:30 on this friday. brace yourself for another round of bitter cold temperatures. let's get more from meteorologist bill henley. >> the sun is coming up but temperatures are at their coldest and add in the wind to make it feel even colder. that wind is at 8 miles an hour in philadelphia, that has died down some this morning but it is enough when it's this cold out to make it feel like it is 7 degrees right now in philadelphia, 6 in vineland, 3 degrees below zero for coatesville and 13 below is what it feels like in the pocono mountains. pamela osborne is watching the maps and traffic cameras this morning. >> we are looking at 95 right now, this is where we will start off. there was actually a week shafs on fire in the northbound lanes

over in the shoulder there, it was slowing things down. you can see it looks like traffic is a little bit congested but everything still moving smoothly right now. i also want to give you a look at 476 this morning. okay. we're going to talk about another incident on 95. this is a multi-vehicle crash it's backing things up there as well. rosemary. we're following some breaking news out of west philly, a man is dead, a woman is in the hospital following a row home fire here. it happened on south millick th. crews found the man's body on the second floor of the home. right now the american red cross is helping neighbors and everybody who got out safely. also sky force 10mó:tñ was this breaking news in burrell ton county, another house fire, this on ridge road in south hampton township, two firefighters were injured, no word yet on their condition. i'm rosemary connors, we will have another update in 25 minutes. now back to t"the today show."

7:30 now on this friday morning, 16th of december, 2016. it is just about 18 degrees out on our plaza. we just want to turn around and say thank you to all of these people who got here early. we're going to get outside and say hi to those people in a little while. by the way, the brutal cold starts our check of the headlines. millions of people will see temperatures at or below freezing today. another concern is that winter storm. it's hammered oregon already, it is pressing east with significant snow expected in the midwest. president obama is promising the u.s. will take action

against russia for its suspected interference in our presidential election. he didn't say what that response would be but he said it would come at "a time and place of our own choosing." the president has also warned u.s. intelligence agencies to conduct a full review of the cyber attacks before inauguration day january 20th. new tributes for former astronauts, senator and american hero, john glenn are being held today. his body will late in state at ohio's capitol building this afternoon. a public memorial service will be held tomorrow at ohio state university where vice president joe biden and former president bill clinton are expected to speak. also this morning, president-elect trump is facing more scrutiny over his brand-new luxury hotel in washington. mr. trump is now being ordered to appear at a deposition in a lawsuit he's filed against the celebrity chef. there are also questions over whether trump can even keep the hotel once is he president. nbc's tom costello is there. tom, good morning.

>> reporter: hoda, good morning to you. so mr. trump is actually leasing this hotel space from the federal government. now he is suing celebrity chef, jose andreas, who has supposed to have a restaurant inside the hotel but pulled out after mr. trump's comments on mexican immigrants. the question is whether mr. trump can continue to lease this hotel space if he is both the landlord, the president, and a tenant. it is the biggest, boldest new landmark in the nation's capital. a $200 million makeover with the president-elect's name all over it. >> it is an amazing. probably the best location. one of the most sought-after projects. >> reporter: but the president-elect is in a legal battle with "celebrity chef" jose andreas. he a suing him for reneging on a deal to open a restaurant in the hotel after trump made these comments about mexican immigrants. >> they're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists. >> reporter: trump sued andreas and another chef for pulling out

of the deal. adr ad adreas countersued. a d.c. judge has denied the judge and ordered trump to appear. meanwhile, the trump hotel is an old post office pavilion. so the question is can the president lease the hotel from himself. >> the 60-year lease will be breached the moment he steps in to the oval office unless he completely divested his ownership interests. >> reporter: house democrats say officials at the general services administration, which controls the lease, have said trump will breach the terms of the lease unless he divests. but the gsa tells nbc news it hasn't yet taken a position on whether trump would be in vi violati violation. they are waiting for are details on trump plans to handle all of his business dealings. still, democrats point to the lease itself which reads, no elected official of the government of the united states

should be admitted to any share or part of this lease. but trump wasn't an elected official when he signed the lease. documents filed with the federal election commission show trump has a 76% ownership stake. documents show three of his children have a 7% state. just this week daughter ivan ka was promoting the hotel on instagram. among the concerns, will foreign diplomats. feel compelled to stay at the trump hotel. >> if foreign governments want to say there, now they have a pipeline to literally enriching the president of the united states and currying favor with him. >> reporter: the trump team has not yet commented about this controversy involving the lease. meanwhile, the chef involved in this dispute, jose andreas has suggested he and trump drop their lawsuits and instead donate to veterans. the trump team has not yet responded to that particular offer. guys, back to you. >> tom costello, thanks so much.

what do you say we get another check of the weather for dave price who is in for al. >> got some relatively good news to talk about right now. we'll go to the west coast at this point. take a look at what's happening there. this is not a drought buster but it is some rain and that will help out. it is much needed. keep in mind where there's good there's bad. there are some watches in effect, particularly around flash flooding issues. that's in burn scar areas where you had so many forest fires. we could see rainfall rates upwards of a half-ij nch an hou. doesn't sound like a lot but when the land can't absorb that rain you have some trouble so just keep that in mind. the rest of the country through the day, snow spreads from the rockies through the great lakes. we have nice weather, beautiful weather, much warmer than normal through sections of the southwest, texas, new mexico. florida is looking good and the northeast is locked in a freezer. that's a quick lk at toohe

good morning. i'm meteorologist bill henley. bundle up, wicked cold temperatures this morning. we will slowly climb into the 20s but the wind will still be present. even this afternoon you will feel the windchill in philadelphia. everyone will be try and enough sunshine to warm the suburbs, philadelphia and new jersey up into the upper 20s, closer to 30 degrees at the shore. below freezing in the lehigh valley but dry and you will see sunshine and a few clouds in delaware. have a great day and do your best to stay warm. >> that's a quick look at your national weather. don't forget, saturday night, football action. it is the jets and the dolphins in east rutherford, new jersey. cloudy, mild, about 45 degrees. can you catch all the action on the nfl network. should be a good game. guys? >> dave, thank you very much. just ahead, your favorite holiday cakes and pies. but without that great whipped cream on top. the shortage causing some dessert lovers to panic. how about this?

how fresh is your food? >> good morning, i'm jeff rossen. coming up, you are in your fridge wondering how long is this meat in here? is this still good? this product called the foodsniffer sa when a cold calls...

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i guess they don't want you driving around on three wheels. smart. with liberty mutual new car replacement™, we'll replace the full value of your car. liberty stands with you™. liberty mutual insurance. back at 7:41. rounding out a week-long "rossen reports" series, "does it work." >> i think we talked about this kitchen gadget on "trending." >> that's where we got the idea. you guys were talking about it. we went to go test it. it is america's favorite guessing game, you go into your frinl, you wo fridge, you wonder if that meat or fish or chicken is spoiled. when it doubt, most of us throw it out. matt still cooks it. it is a huge waste of money. but this morning a new gadget claims it can actually tell if you that meat is still good in just seconds just by sniffing it. but does it work? before you buy it, we're trying

it out. >> introducing foodsniffer, a break-through in modern food safety. >> reporter: it sounds great. >> foodsniffer is an electronic sensing device that can advise you instantly if the meat, fish or poultry you are about to serve your family is safe to eat. >> reporter: after hearing about it, we even got excited here at "today." >> it is called "the foodsniffer. >> if it works, that's good. >> reporter: everybody is, ysav wondered so let's find out. i'm going grocery shopping. buying fish. meat. >> ground beef. >> reporter: and, of course, poultry. >> let's grab some chicken, too. >> reporter: okay. i'm just back from the grocery store. i have the foodsniffer right here. as you can see, i put each one into its own container because that's how the foodsniffer works. the gases from the meats build up inside the container, and that's what the sniffer sniffs. we're going to start right over

here with the meat. by the way, there is an app. you download it on your phone. we've calibrated it. i'm going to open the container up. hover it right here. and it's sniffing. we have is the results right here. it came out as fresh. we any that's true because we just bought it from the store. our chicken and salmon come out fresh, too. the sniffer nails it. but, now the real question. how will the sniffer do when the food's been sitting out. the usda says raw meat should never sit out for more than two hours because bacteria may grow and produce toxins that can make you sick. so we let our meat sit, and sit, and sit, for just over two hours. and we tried it again. >> going to put it in here. take our sample. we have a verdict. the sniffer says the ground beef is fresh. but remember, it's not fresh. it's been sitting out here for hours. it says our chicken is still

fresh, too. nbc medical contributor dr. john torres says -- no. you definitely shouldn't eat it. >> two hours unrefrigerated, after that time no matter what it says, throw that meat out. >> reporter: but what about that salmon? >> it is saying the salmon should be cooked well. sample analysis indicates that the spoilage process in the fish has already begun. if you choose to eat the fish, ensure that it is thoroughly cooked. but the usd. a says that's a no-no, too. toxins that are heat resistant can't be cooked out. so what will happen if we leave everything out for five hours? here we go. >> um, this meat is coming back as fresh. it's been five hours. it is saying the chicken is fresh, too. this is nuts. >> reporter: as for the salmon -- >> okay. it is saying the fish is spoiled. happy to see that. the fish is officially spoiled. >> reporter: the company that makes the food sniffer telling

nbc news many factors affect how quickly food spoils and the usda provides guidance on how consumers should behave in most common situations with exprecaution. but it is not a holy grail. but many doctors disagree. >> the foodsniffer is a fun gadget to play around with but those guidelines are there for a reason. >> by the way, the foodsniffer, not cheap. it sells for $130. we left the meat out for 24 hours. came back the next morning, it stunk to high heaven, but everything came back spoiled on the foodsniffer. >> when you smelled it after five hours. >> it was disgusting. yucky. >> you said that you would -- if you had left something out for two hours, would you think that is spoiled? >> if you go grocery shopping, you throw it in the car, you run for other errands. you get home -- >> jeff, thank you. coming up on "popstart!" the surprising things oscar winner

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they have a color rush campaign where players are sporting a single signature color for select games to create more of a vivid look on the field. we think "vivid" might have been a bit of an understatement as the seahawks wore those uniforms last night. social media quick to pounce. wendy writing in, live look at the seahawks huddle. jim posting this one, saying behind the scenes making of seahawks color rush uniforms, homer simpson there. even the "sunday night football" team getting in on the action. in case the lights go out, we are good to go. uniforms sparking comparisons, everything from highlighters and doublemint gum. the riddler here. if you remember before, the dolphins wore their orange and they got compared to cream sickles. this sunday night, uniforms go back to normal as you with watching the buccaneers take on the cowboys right here on nbc. matt, you said you like the green. >> i think for one game, i like

them. i'm with you. i thought it was fun. >> i think we have a story coming up, carson, just for you. about you raiders fans. >> we're fine people. just ahead, a star-studded hour. reese witherspoon, matthew that was invigorating! you're probably wondering why i've just carved a giant wooden tiger. well, the answer is that a real one would maul me. i've crafted dr. whiskers here as a visual aid to show you that should you visit the lot, carmax associates will not pounce like tigers because people don't like that. come here to buy a car. dr. whiskers won't pounce. nobody will. ♪

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nbc 10 news starts now. good morning, i'm rows mary connors, it's a few minutes before 8:00 on this friday. we've issued a first alert because of this dangerous cold weather that continues to stay with us, let's get more now from meteorologist bill henley. >> going to be very slow to warm up today, starting off with some sunshine, a few scattered clouds, this is a live view from center city. the temperatures still stuck in the teens. it is now up to 17 degrees in philadelphia but 13 in the lehigh valley, south jersey at 15 and 16 degrees in delaware. these suburbs will stay below freezing all day long from the teens into the 20s this afternoon. rosemary. pamela osborne is watching the roads for us this morning. what are you seeing? >> we're going to start with the schuylkill roads, this is right at waverly road, quite backed up if you're headed to 476 or 676 it will take you 27 minutes from there, average speeds are in the 20s. we're also looking out for a

vehicle accident in white marsh township, this is church road and pike ridge road. today in delaware county the man accused of shooting a folcroft police officer is set for a preliminary hearing. donte island will be in court. he's facing charges of attempted murder and other related crimes. authorities say aye land shot officer chris dorman seven times, it happened while the officer was responding to a report of people smoking drugs in folcroft. officer dorman underwent surgery, he is now back on the force. today u.s. senator bob casey of pennsylvania will be at temple university for a forum on keeping children safe from guns at home. the event follows the accidental shooting of a two-year-old boy on thanksgiving in north philadelphia. the toddler was critically wounded, the victim's parents are now facing charges. i'm rosemary connors, we will have another update in 25 minutes. remember you can always get the latest news and weather with the nbc 10 app. now back to "the today show." have a good one.

it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, the frozen states of america. bitter cold temperatures and a powerful storm blanket much of the country. more than 200 million people feeling the effects. so when will it end? we've got your forecast. plus, santa's little helpers. >> one, two, three -- >> merry christmas! >> hoda enlists the help of kids to make some very special holiday wishes come true. and the stars are out in studio 1a. oscar winners reese witherspoon and matthew mcconaughey swing by to chat about their new animated movie you'll be singing along to.

and 15-time grammy winner alicia keys treats us to a special live performance "today," friday, december 16th, 2016. ♪ merry christmas, canton, michigan! >> woo! >> we're here to celebrate arianna's 6th birthday. >> happy holidays from the "today" show! it's 8:00 now on this friday morning. it is the 16th day of december. it is feeling like the 16th day of december. temperatures, 18 degrees out on

our plaza. this is one of those times where we walk out and we said, you know, it is not all that bad. but these people have been standing out here since about 5:30 this morning. >> you guys are awesome! >> they're fired up. >> yeah, they are. we got some marshall fans from west virginia over here. thundering herd. >> the big easy over here. well, guys, alicia keys, our grammy winning friend from our show "the voice" is here getting ready to treat us to a live performance. we are excited about that. >> you're shaking. >> i'm freezing. you're going to have some recipes to warm us up, ideal for staying inside, cozying up and watching football. we've got a lot to get to. let us get a check of the morning's top stories. here is the news at 8:00. much of the country in the middle of one-two polar punch. good morning to you, i'm blake

mccoy from chicago where actual air temperatures are in the teens. it feels closer to zero this morning. these temperatures though are not stopping salvation army bell ringers as we are just over a week away from christmas. folks are braving these temperatures to finish their holiday shopping. as this arctic air moves east, even places like new york and washington, d.c. waking up to temperatures in the teens this morning. when you couple these cold temperatures with snow, you get messy conditions on the road. i-80 has re-opened after a 59-car pile-up yesterday. this is northeast of pittsburgh. there were several injuries. thankfully, no deaths though. and more snow is expected today for the upper midwest. ohio and cleveland, they're going to be seeing more snow but they are still digging out of the snow they received yesterday. we'll get a second blast of cold air later this weekend. there is that weekend song, "i

can't feel my face when i'm with you," matt, this morning, i cannot feel my face when i'm with you. >> don't even try to sing it, blake. thank you very much. in other news, president obama holds his final news conference of the year, most likely the final one of his presidency. it happens at the white house today. russia's alleged cyber espionage of the 2016 presidential election probably going to be a hot topic. speaking to npr this morning, the president vowed the united states would retaliate "at a time and place of our own choosing." u.s. intelligence officials tell nbc news that the hacking directed by president vladimir putin began as a vendetta against hillary clinton, and then expanded to create chaos in the election process. the kremlin calls the accusation laughable. now to close calls for passengers on two jetliners. a southwest airlines flight from chicago to las vegas had to return to midway airport thursday after it struck a bird and the pilot declared an

emergency. an allegiant to florida made an emergency landing in rockford, illinois after pilots were forced to shut down an engine after a bird strike. one passenger called it very scary and said she grabbed her daughter and started praying. passengers and crews on both planes were okay. very scary. coming up, what facebook is doing to fight fake news. and then sharing kindness and spreading holiday cheer. hoda and her elves making christmas wishes come true. it is a great story you'll want to see. and, we have matthew mcconaughey, reese witherspoon and our

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it is now 8:09 which makes it a really good, chilly time to "trend." you ready? here's something you're going to see popping up on your facebook feed soon. after catching a lot of flack for the rampant spread of fake news on that social network, facebook thinks it has a solution. here's what's going to happen. users will now be able to flag links in their feed as fake news. now if a particular item is flagged enough, it will then be checked by a third party site and eventually tagged with an alert saying that it is disputed. some people are raising issues with this method questioning whether it will affect free speech and also how satire sites are going to be affected. but do you like the first step, at least the move? >> something's got to be done. because people are believing everything that they read. the difference will be how are they going to differentiate between fake news and what's highly editorialized.

you can't just like the tone of an article. >> when you see the onion or something that you know is kind of spoofy. yeah. i think sometimes people are confused. >> my dad believes everything he reads. you want some cute video? here is the cutest video you're going to see all day. watch what happens when parents make a little girl's christmas wish of turning her stuffed dog into a real dog come true. >> i tell you. keep your eyes shut, baby. keep your eyes shut. keep your eyes shut. >> that's adorable! >> mommy! mommy! oh, mommy! thank you so much! >> aww! >> thank you so much! he's so cute, mommy! he's so cute! >> someone, get me kleenex.

>> isn't that amazing? tears of joy, baby. >> until she has to walk it on a 9 degree day. she's not going to be so happy. finally, the reddi wip might be missing at your holiday gathering this year. it is because there is a serious whipped cream shortage gripping the nation. it's been traced back to a shortage of -- sorry. i might be too familiar with this. nitrous oxide which as we all know makes the cans of whipped cream function. we'll show you who you to make your own whipped cream at home. siri daly is joining us to show us. >> fear not, america. >> people probably think it is impossible to make. >> it is very easy to make. we make it all the time at home. in fact, i prefer it. >> nitrous oxide is only what propels the whipped cream out of the can. >> all we have is heavy whipping

cream, sugar, and vanilla. that's the three ingredients. >> come on. >> it helps to have the bowl really cold before you do it so put it in the freezer first. >> before you do that -- >> are you nervous? >> can i remind people what happened the last time we put a blender of any kind in your hands? we had an outdoor segment. i ended up walking home with that soup all over me. >> no. this is why i'm right here. >> let it go! let it go. >> it will take a few minutes. >> you almost need more so that the things don't get all over there. >> soft whipped. >> where did it all go? >> i don't know. what is your theory? >> wow. >> all right. >> i think i need a little more

speed. >> what can we kill the time with? >> it's getting there. >> how long does that take? >> couple minutes. >> it is better though. it tastes delicious. >> it tastes like melted vanilla ice cream. >> looks like soup. >> heavy whipping cream. >> oh, my god -- matt stuck his finger in it! >> this is good. tastes like vanilla. siri, you are going to be back to cook. carson, "popstart!." >> blake lively turning a hollywood event into a family affair at the presentation ceremony for his star on the hollywood walk of fame. reynolds was not the only celeb there. with his wife. their two daughters as well. the first time we are seeing the whole family out in public. during his speech the a the ceremony, reynolds giving a special thanks to lively. >> i want to thank my wife, blake, who is sitting right there, who is everything to me.

you are the best thing -- the best thing that has ever happened to me. second only to this star on the hollywood walk of fame. hollywood walk of fame. you make everything better. i mean absolutely everything in my life better. you're given us two of the most incredible children that i could ever hope to have. you've made me the father of my dreams when i thought i only had fun uncle potential. >> i'm going to rip that speech off. saying the exact same thing to you if i should ever be so lucky to get a star. lively gave birth to the family's newest edition two months ago. denzel washington reveals surprising and embarrassing things about himself during his "ask me anything" session. he was asked what he would be doing if he wasn't acting. he said he would probably be working with children recounting his time as a counselor at the ymca. who he would recommend to someone who's never seen his work, he said "fences."

finally, he was asked what's the weirdest situation you found yourself in, to which denzel washington responded probably not being able to find a bathroom in time. we've all been there. finally, toe in i bennett is 90 years old but you wouldn't know it by the way he acts. he's been in show busy near bus nearly 70 years. he says it is too late to retire, he might as well keep singing. but he has yet to sing with beyonce so that's on his bucket list. mr. bennett will join us here in studio 1a on tuesday. tony bennett celebrates 90 at 9:00 p.m. right here on nbc. >> that man's got tons of energy. dave, you got a little check of the weather? >> i sure do. we got another siberian express. it is a byproduct of the polar vortex. you know what? none of that matters. what you need to know is it is cold and it is going to get more cold. look at these morning windchills

and temperatures through the area. if this is a real thermometer reading in bismarck, sunday morning, 28 below. minneapolis, 23 below. and in chicago by the time we get to monday, it is going to feel like it is 14 below. we could break or tie some records as we head through the next several days. this cold air coming and this could be the coldest of those three arctic blasts we've seen over the last week or so. let's take a look and see what's happening around the rest of the country. should be real nice in florida. gulf states look good with temperatures in the 70s. texas and new mexico look nice. little bit of windy condition there. and as we take a look this morning through southern california, you are going to see some rain showers. meanwhile from the rockies all the way to the upper middest wiand upper great lakes, snow continues to spread towards the east. that's going to drcreate a slop weekend here in the northeast through the i-95 corridor. but for today, it is brutally

cold temperatures. a real tough go as you walk out of the house and try and head to work. now, we are looking at the possibility of some severe weather as we head through sections of the lower mississippi valley, as we roll through the weekend. but all in it all, by the time we get through the next 72 hours, things should look a little bit better. that's a quick lookt our a good morning, i'm meteorologist bill henley. bundle up. wicked cold temperatures this morning. will slowly climb into the 20s but the wind will still be present so even this afternoon you'll feel the windchill in philadelphia. everyone will be dry and enough sunshine to warm the suburbs, philadelphia, and new jersey, up into the upper 20s, closer to 30 degrees at the shore. below freezing in lehigh valley but dry and sunshine and a few clouds in delaware. have a great day and do your best to stay warm. >> that's a qt's a quick look a national weather. matt, over to you.

what happens when you combine award winning actors and musicians with top animators and a soundtrack that is packed with hits? the answer is a great and fun new movie called "sing." it stars matthew mcconaughey as a koala who's running a singing competition, and reese witherspoon as a singing pig. seriously. take a look. >> you've got a great set of pipes but boring to watch. >> i knew it. >> so, what should i do? i could partner you up with gunter. gunter, where are you? >> yes! yes! this is me! >> hahaha. yeah. >> wait. you want us to sing together? >> yeah. the two of us together, you joking me? we're going to be spicy, no? >> hey, guys, good morning. how are you? good to see you. what are the chances by the end of this interview we've got five and a half, six minutes, that i convince you to sing a couple of lines of "call me maybe." >> reese is a great singer.

>> that's a song you actually tackle in the movie. let it percolate. let it wash over you. i'll get back to you. who wants to take a shot explaining the story line here, the plot? >> the plot? >> yeah. >> okay. the plot. the show must go on. buster moon. this guy who grew up in the theater, wants to keep the theater alive. theater's dying. he comes up with an idea for a singing competition to keep the theater alive. all the animals come together and they're pretty good at it. when they do it for the money it doesn't work but when they do it just for the love of what they do, everything goes well. >> well done, by the way. that's really good. you play a mom. >> yeah. >> a singing pig. what i like about rosita is that she's one of these people who's let her dreams a little go off to the side and the singing brings them back to her. >> yeah. yeah. well, she's had 25 kids. so she has had to put her dreams

on hold. now this singing competition gets her out of the house and getting her remembering she had a live beyond having kids. i think it is a really touching story. i think a lot of moms will relate to it and i think a lot of kids will appreciate their mom more. >> the director of the movie said he liked you for the role of buster moon because he was looking for someone with a voice can be incredibly optimistic. >> i heard optimistic. i didn't hear the word -- what's the word -- annoying. >> what's your history of singing? >> my history of singing? >> yeah. >> showers and car drives and to myself. >> okay. you do sing a little in this movie though. >> in this movie? what are you talking about? >> what song do you sing in here? >> "call me maybe." >> how does that go? >> talking to ashley. watch the movie. it is a much better version. >> turn the sound down. how's that song go, matthew? ♪ ba-da-ba-bum

>> i think there are words, actually. now you can sing. you can really sing. because you've played roles and you've won an oscar for a little movie where you actually did a little singing. was it different doing country music for a role than singing pop hits like by taylor swift and taty katy perry? >> definitely. country music was much easier for me. singing taylor's song "shake is off" is really hard. i happened to run into her while i was making the movie. i said i have a new appreciation for how hard she works. she's like, yeah, i work really hard. it's hard. >> what was the song he sang again? >> "call me maybe"? >> call me maybe. >> matthew. matthew. come on. >> it is really a better version in the movie. i promise you. >> give us -- >> 8:22 a.m. version is -- >> not going to be good? is there a bow in us nus to mak movie like this because your kids can go check it out?

>> absolutely. >> i think between the two of us our kids have seen this like 16 times. >> what did they think? >> loved it. they come out, they have a different favorite character every time they come out, they have a different favorite song every time they come out. it happens for me, too, as a parent. i've got a different favorite character when i come out. >> there are so many great messages in the movie about believing in yourself and learning to love your family members and loving what you do and having hopes and dreams. >> while i'm on subject of kids, holidays are here. that's a fun time to have kids, especially the ages you guys do. what are your plans? is. >> our plans, we're going to go to brazil to see camilla's side of the family. her father's side and her mother's side. we'll leave new york here shortly. do that. and have a brazilian christmas. >> how about you, reese? >> just going to stay home. maybe go to the beach. just enjoy ourselves. >> you both have been on the show a lot but when you get together, you become so much more southern. you really do.

you bring it out in each other. is that something you've noticed? >> no. i didn't notice it. >> we bring out lot of things in each other. >> do you do any singing over the holidays with your kids? why do you tease me like this? >> why do you tease me like this? >> by the way, congratulations, both golden globe nominations. >> exciting. >> do you get two? are you competing against yourself? >> i mean they're both in the best animated feature, i believe. >> which one are you rooting for? >> i'm just rooting. the first two animated films i've been a part of and i was part of two of the good ones. >> it's good to see you guys. >> thank you, matt. >> i can't believe i failed to get him to sing. >> i did the baseline to it. >> one last chance? >> how about everyone in the back? i'll do the baseline. >> hoda.

♪ so call me maybe >> i'll do it. i'll do it with reese. reese and me will do it. >> hoda will sing anything. you know who else is connelling up, you guys? you're going to love this. alicia keys is going to be singing for us in just a little bit. she'll be here. but first, your local news.

good morning, i'm katy za zachry. it is 8:26 on your friday. we've issued a first alert for dangerously cold weather we're experiencing. let's get to first alert meteorologist bill henley with that. >> hasn't changed much. temperatures stay cold this morning. five degrees is what it feels like now in philadelphia. actual temperature is in the teens, feels like 12 below in the pocono mountains, zero the windchill in coatesville. it's up to 17 degrees in philadelphia but that wind at 10 miles an hour. lehigh valley 13 degrees. we'll see sunshine and a few scattered clouds at times with a warmup, 26 degrees at 2:00, warming into the upper 20s but staying below freezing for each part of our area during the day today. a warmup of 26 degrees.

let's check in now first alert traffic reporter pamela osborne. >> we started out on 95 at girard, the northbound lanes, a disabled vehicle in the far shoulder or lane of the northbound lanes. it has since been removed just as we were going on the air so everything is moving smoothly in that area now. good thing it is. another thing we're watching, whitemarsh township a vehicle accident that has things closed in both directions. watch out for that. now to a developing story, a man is dead, and a woman is in the hospital after a row home fire in west philadelphia this morning. nbc ten was on south mill jick street. fire crews found the man's body on the second floor. we're working to learn the woman's condition at the hospital. we'll have another live update in 25 minutes. we'll send you back to the "today" show and see you lisht.

8:30 now on a friday morning, the 16th day of december, 2016. we got a really great, nice crowd out on the plaza bundled up against the cold. it is now 17 degrees. mel b. is our celebrity elf this morning. we always appreciate their generosity and time. you can donate by going to our website as weapll. you can catch her on "america's got talent," a holiday spectacular monday night on nbc. she's sticking around this morning. >> she's going to co-host the 9:00. >> she's my co-host for new year's eve, also, mel b.

>> wow! our mission to grant holiday wishes with an assist from some of santa's littlest helpers, of course. we'll have some fun with these kids. >> is this a great way to end your friday? alicia keys is here to give us an awesome performance. >> love her! and another good way to spend a friday morning. we've got siri back to cook up some of the daly family's favorite treats to cook up over the weekend. cheesecake and bacon are involved. but first, it is time to check in with mr. dave price. you got some weather for us? >> weather all the time everywhere. let's go to the maps an see what's happening as we head into the weekend. oh, yes. l how about that, everybody? got a lot of big fans for saturday and sunday. but if you're in the northeast, watch it saturday. looks like we start out with snow and head into rain. we've got sloppy conditions through the great lakes and into sections of the upper midwest, bitter cold into sunday.

we'll slowly see some clearing and a real warm-up in the northeast. look at much of the rest of the country. clearing on out. we are going to see some bitter cold temperatures begin to slide in to the midwest. negative numbers. as we take that turn sunday into monday, we could be setting some records once again as we are dealing with another blast of arctic air. see? it's even getting me. now you can find your forecast any time, anywhere on the reathe channel. good morning, i'm meteorologist bill henley. bundle up. wicked cold temperatures this morning. will slowly climb into the 20s but the wind will still be present so even this afternoon you'll feel the windchill in philadelphia. everyone will be dry and enough sunshine to warm the suburbs, philadelphia, and new jersey, up into the upper 20s, closer to 30 degrees at the shore. below freezing in lehigh valley but dry and sunshine and a few clouds in delaware. have a great day and do your best to stay warm.

>> announcer: this portion of share kindness is is created wi our sponsor, the y. supporting kids, families and communities for a better us. it is time for our "share kindness" campaign. all month long we are keeping track of the kind acts you do. it is a good time to take a look at that lego kindness counter. it is up to 788,153 acts. >> now there is going to be more. holiday cards are being donated to the kindness experience here at 30 rock and to kids all across the country. hoda recruited some kids. >> we worked with our sponsor, the y, to gather a few kids from one of the local centers. the idea was to grant holiday wishes for children in need. >> my name is luciana. i'm a good girl and a good student. >> but my mom's not working.

>> my mom doesn't have money to buy my gifts. >> tore my sister. >> thank you, santa claus. >> reporter: every year millions of kids send letters to santa. but sometimes it is too much for the big guy to handle. >> kindness is love and joy in the air. >> friendship or caring for somebody. >> hi, you guys! how are you? >> good! >> you guys all right? so we are at the post office and we are going to be santa's elves. >> yay! >> reporter: the post office's operation santa allows anyone to send gifts to deserving kids. pick up letters, look around, and then tell me what speaks to you. >> i have five brothers. we have come to an agreement, we would like to ask you to help us give our mother the best christmas ever. >> that means all these brothers together. they want no presents. they want us to get something for their mother. but we might get them a little

something, too, right? what does it make you feel inside? >> sometimes it makes me feel sad because like their parents don't have enough money. >> it makes me feel like i don't want to have a christmas. >> reporter: well, you know what's good? we are going to help these kids have an excellent christmas. there you go. that's for you. but first, some more official attire. >> there you go. >> ho-ho-ho. perfect and adorable. now you need your santa bags. >> ho-ho-ho. >> so follow me. but where are we going to find toys? come on. follow me. stop wasting time, elves! ♪ jingle bells jingle bells jingle all the way ♪ keep your eyes over there. okay? look closely. >> what are we supposed to be seeing here? >> hey, honey.

i'm so excited! [ horn blaring ] >> oh, my gosh! >> we have brought the toy store to you. >> yay! >> this is a toys'r'us truck, and we are going inside. >> yay! >> it's time to go shopping! go ahead! everybody up! >> wow! >> everyone, look at your list. you guys know who you are shopping for. >> leapfrog. let's find leapfrog. okay? you got a tiara? is she's going to love that. let's go. >> i need a ramp. >> some wanted like lots of toys. i had two bags in my hand. it just was hard. >> guess what? >> what? >> we have some additional elves helping us from papyrus.

everyone's going to help wrap those presents. >> perfect. >> reporter: along with the toys, we sent everyone warm clothes from h & m and a gift card from jcpenney. you know how at the post office there are always fake presents? these aren't fake presents. we want to say thank you to you. emily! >> dear family, remember, santa is coming to town. i did this for you because you've been good. you are going to love your presents. >> dear henry, hope your mom is okay. >> i want you to have a very merry christmas and i want them to be kwiind every day. >> reporter: as santa's helpers, these elves will never witness the impact of their kindness. but if their own actions are any indication, it's a mission accomplished. >> one, two, three -- >> merry christmas! >> one of those stories, i

haven't stopped thinking about those letters that those kids fulfilled and it was amazing. i like that the kids wrote back. >> handwritten letters these days. nice to see. >> really sweet. the u.s. post office receives millions of santa letters each year. as you know, santa could always use a few more elves. so if you are interested, drop in and help. we want to give a big thanks to toys'r'us and papyrus for hec helping us wrap the gifts. >> thanks to you for bringing it all together. up next, carson and siri share their favorite recipes for watching a little football in the daly household. but first, this is a friday on "today" on nbc. (my hero zero by lemonheads) zero really can be a hero. get zero down, zero deposit,

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8:40 on a friday morning. we are back with "today food loves football" to get you ready for this weekend's games, including the bucs and cowboys sunday night on nbc. >> siri and i are huge football

fans so we thought we'd share some of our favorite game day snacks. this is not a health conscious segment, we are warning you now. >> comfort food at its best. >> these are the biggest hit in our neighborhood. >> these are called lucy's ham sandwiches where i'm from because my mom's friend made them famous. sticky ham sandwiches. hawaiian sweet rolls, swiss cheese, ham. >> we should mention carson has another recipe in a second. >> we'll add ground mustard and poppy seeds. >> could you just add regular old jar mustard? >> you could. you could. wo we have our hawaiian sweet buns. this is a a little trick because it is a pain to have to slide them all in half. just keep them all together and

just take a serated knife. >> these taste as good as they look on tv, these sticky sandwiches. >> again, you just have your hand -- you can use turkey or different kinds of cheese. >> you end up baking these. >> yes. all we do is assemble them like that. they get nice and snug. add your sauce on top. it coats all of them. i like to marinate it for an hour maybe overnight. gets all sticky into the bread. then we bake it for about ten minutes covered, then ten minutes uncovered. >> for football, you have people over -- if you have any left, i'll be shocked. >> you know, these are unbelievable. >> they taste better than they look. >> they are a hit. >> i make a lot of quesadillas for my kids at home. for the football game, for adults, we'll just kick it up a notch. this is a pizzadilla.

bacon, ideally i like to try to keep some of the grease and i'll use to crisp up the tortillas. wipe some of it out. put that there for now. then we'll take your tortilla. just like a pizza, build it with a little bit of tomato sauce here. >> i'm going to crumble this for you. >> i'm in heaven. >> you can assemble this just like it is. add some cheese. we've got some oregano. hot sauce. >> i also have some brussels sprouts. >> siri, these are delicious, by the way. >> i'll put one in this one for you. >> just flip it over. how long does that take? >> i just eyeball it to make sure you get a nice crisp. butter does help. throw a little bit of that bacon grease in there.

this will crisp up. you will tell when you cut it, you'll be able to hear it. >> carson is really the quesadilla master in our house. the kids don't want me to make quesadillas. >> that's the pizzadillas. >> i've died and gone to heaven. >> these are great. these are really good. you could fill these with all kinds of things. >> absolutely. siri's got a healthier version there. >> well, not eating healthy version. >> between the lucy's sticky buns and these in our house -- >> you just put them out on the table and people are going to just graze throughout the day. >> it is great for football, too. >> who are you rooting for? >> oakland raiders. >> good luck to these two teams tonight. all eyes are on dallas tonight. >> your football weekend begins tomorrow night on the nfl network with the jets taking on the dolphins, and sunday night tampa bay buccaneers against the dallas cowboys. go bucs.

nbc's coverage begins with "football night in america," beginning at 7:00 eastern time. up next, a live performance from our friend from "the voice" angrammy wd in

man: this is our son christopher lewis. woman: this is our brother john anthony gracie. man: this is my daughter natalie. we lost her to opioid addiction. woman: pennsylvania's fighting this crisis so more lives are not lost. woman: call 1-800-662-help for treatment options.

visit pa.gov/opioids for resources and information on substance abuse. paid for with pennsylvania taxpayer dollars. >> announcer: the citi concert series on "today" is proudly presented to you by citi. alicia keys is a singer, a songwriter, producer and 15-time grammy winner who also finds time to serve as a coach on nbc's "the voice." >> she's contagious. >> she's got a new album called "here." it debuted at number one on the billboard r&b chart. >> hey. >> good morning. good morning. >> you are going to get to a song in a minute but you are going to perform this song for the very first time live on national television with us today. >> that is true. the very first time i have performed it. >> how come you saved it for us? >> well, i love you and i love

you, america. and i love being here. but i've just been having such an incredible time with this album, especially because it is such an important body of work for me. it is so much fun, it has so much diversity to it and so many incredible topics on it, things that you can really relate to. one of the things i've been enjoying the most is doing different songs in different places. so today i wanted to do this song just for you, first time ever. bam! >> a lot about new york. your whole life you talk about new york. let me just go off one second. holidays in new york. what's your favorite thing to do? >> my favorite thing to do in new york would be to be in my house out the cold. y'all know what i mean. >> can we ask about blake and why he keeps winning on "the voice"? >> the game is obviously rigged. >> you had a great artist. wade mcdonald. >> wade was awesome! >> your first year you made it to the finale. >> i did. i it was so proud of wade. so proud of us. she has no limits for her.

17's the youngest artist. only female made it to the finale. i'm so proud to be there. i'm very happy for blake and for sundance because they are very incredibly. we just play around with each other. >> you going to sing? you ready? ♪ monday morning work on it work on it work on it baby ♪ ♪ we all workin' on it ♪ it's all for love you got so much to give ♪ ♪ work on it work on it work on it ♪ ♪ aw baby let me take a moment to say that i know you and you know me yeah yeah baby ♪ let's make it last ♪

now darling, there's a heartache there's a heartache there's a heartache that makes us build on our trust ♪ there's a way to say that the easiest way is to fake it ♪ we gonna make it if we try ♪ you gotta promise not to abuse it if you use it don't lose it or break it ♪ because we gonna make it you and i ♪ when they see us coming they gonna uh-oh uh-oh-uh on oh

uh-oh ♪ ♪ they see us coming they gonna sing ♪ work on it work on it work on it baby ♪ some days are hard there ain't no easy way ♪ matter how we try nobody's perfect ♪ ♪ work on it work on it work on it ♪ ♪ oh yeah but if we just love each other through it all ♪ ♪ work on it work on it work on it ♪ ♪ baby it all makes it worth it ♪ ♪ work on it work on it work on it ♪ ♪ there's people that say that the easiest way is to fake it ♪ we gonna make it if we try if we try ♪ you got to promise not to abuse it if you use it don't lose it

or break it ♪ because we gonna make it you and i ii ♪ ♪ oh oh oh oh oh oh ♪ oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh ♪ they see us coming they gonna say ♪ ♪ work on it work on it work on it ♪ ♪ when they feel us coming they gonna say oh ♪ when they feel us coming they gonna say oh oh oh yeah ♪ work on it work on it work on it baby ♪ >> yes! >> come on! come on! come on! come on! >> thanks guys, very much. >> that was awesome! that was awesome! again, that album is

alicia keys.

back now at 8:54. james franco is joining us on the couch, star of the new movie "why" -- alicia's just waving. >> have you seen the clips here?

a guy plays a man meeting his girlfriend's parents for the first time and he is not what they expected. james, great to see you. good morning. here's what happened after i watched your character in this movie. i just went home and grounded my daughter. for no reason. she will not be dating for a very long time. >> how old is she? >> she's 13. >> okay. yeah. that's a good idea. >> what a fun cast. can we say? >> bryan cranston, megan mulally, zoey deutch. i really did it when bryan told me that he was going to be a part of it. i think people forget that he started in comedy on "malcolm in the middle," won emmys for it. everyone thinks of him as walter white now. he is like one of the funniest guys around. like i hadn't really done a comedy without seth roggin for a long time. he's like my new partner and he is amazing.

>> what about the hbo series, "the deuce"? you play two different characters? >> i play twins on that. it's with david simon who did "the wire." and it's sort of about the rise of the porn industry in new york in the '70s. >> well, look at the time! >> you're going to stick around, right? >> i think so. >> good morning, i'm katy zachry. just a few minutes before 9:00 a.m. and it is another day of dangerous cold out there. nbc 10 was in centre city overnight where about a dozen construction workers braved the frigid conditions to work on improvements to the vine street expressway. anyone who works outside will have to dress in layers. in fact anyone who goes outside. we get right to your forecast

with meteorologist bill henley >> brutal conditions this morning and not going to improve a lot during the day. you blame the wind for the cold air arriving and making it feel colder. scattered clouds, a 12-mile-an-hour wind in philadelphia and the wind is increasing in wilmington, looking at windchills in wilmington of 4 degrees, it feels like 3 degrees below zero in coatesville and 6 for philadelphia, and mt. holly. we will see sub shine and just some high clouds, completely dry during the day so the temperature also climb into the upper 20s this afternoon. katy? >> bill, thanks for that. pamela osborne joins us with a check of the roads. what are you watching? >> problems on 95 for most of the morning, this is 95 the southbound lanes right at indiana street there, reports of an accident in the area that's slowing things down quite a bit, average speeds only in the 30s right now. also some delays at septa, the warminister train 13 minutes late, norristown minutes late,

thorndale 18 minute delays. today in delaware dontay island is expected at a preliminary hearing in the shooting of police officer chris dorman. he's charged to trying to murder the officer back in june. officer dorman was shot seven times. he had surgery and is now back on patrol. just a few minutes before 9:00 a.m. and we'll have another live update coming up around 9:0. back to the "today" show. we'll see you shortly.

this morning on dae"today's take," it is a huge freeb"freeb frida friday". we've got the spice, how about a little sugar, the ultimate homemade christmas cookies coming up now. . >> announcer: from nbc news, this this is "today's take" live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. welcome to "today" on this fabulous friday morning. it is december 16th, 2016. i'm tamron. along with -- look at this -- this is where the magic happens. call your grandma, call your auntie. look who's here. "america's got talent judge," the fabulous, the magnificent

mel b. and golden globe winning star and nominee, mr. robot himself. well, kind of. sort of. >> you are the magic of the show. >> thank you. >> christian slater is back with us. we have an incredible show planned because it is "freebie friday" and we are giving away something big for the holidays that would make the greatest christmas gift ever. so please don't move because you can win from home. i know that sometimes you think we forget you at home because you are not on the plaza doing all that. that's okay. because if you scream from home, guess who's going to hear you? >> we are. >> they're going to have something special for you. you've got "america's got talent" holiday spectacular. >> yes. it is just full of fun and christmas. actually there is a few surprises in there. heidi does a bit of a song and dance. a very sexy song and dance. we have old fan favorites back. we've got the winner, grace. it is just a lovely, fun christmassy family show. >> you forgot someone on the list? >> who?

>> the regurgitater? >> yeah. >> he's great at decorating christmas trees. >> you know about this, christian? >> i've heard about this guy. you have to explain. >> there is no explanation. he can put stuff in his mouth and regurgitate it and he has no -- >> you've gotten that close to tell? >> yes. yes, i have gotten that close. >> does it make you feel like -- >> sick. yes. >> does it bring up the holiday spirits or -- because it is a unique way -- >> you just wonder how he does it. >> -- to celebrate. does he have children? what is this guy's deal? could you imagine? >> he travels the whole entire world with this act. we were lucky enough to have him on our show. >> no one else does it. >> nobody else does it. >> did he decorate the whole tree as well? >> he can regurgitate salt and sugar. >> it's appalling.

>> it airs monday night, 8:00 central, right here on nbc. we need a palate cleanser. >> you have other talents. we're going to see it on the broadway stage. mel is in chicago. >> i am. >> when does that start? >> it's not the -- is that the playbill? >> yeah. december 28th, my opening night. >> december 28th is your opening night. >> yes. i didn't want to tell anybody because i want to be a little bit good before anybody comes to see it. >> oh, come on. >> when did you learn that you'd be doing it? >> i actually was in discussions with them months ago and now i finally signed my contract, am finally in rehearsals. mao it is very, very daunting. >> you've been to rehearsal. >> yeah. i actually rehearsed on the stage for the first time

yesterday. >> for example, like what? give me one thing. plus, we want to see your dress. >> i have to talk in an american accent. my kids are making fun of me the whole entire time. >> let's hear your american. >> no. i need to rehearse a little bit before. >> you're putting her right on the spot. >> i did cry a little bit yesterday. because the play's been going for 20 years, the musical. i wanted to make sure that i'm doing my part. >> you're mel b. >> i'm playing roxy. i want to do justice. >> you want to service the show as best you can. >> can you stand for one second? >> why? >> let's see the dress. and then like if you were roxy right now, what would she do? >> oh, yes! >> is that too much? >> it is a standing ovation! the whole place is on their feet. >> women, men, children have all stood up around america. >> yeah, i couldn't help myself. i rose immediately.

>> i mean to my feet. >> i have to confess to you. you were my white boy crush when i was younger. >> no! >> for a very, very long time. >> that's very specific. >> i was in a particular category. >> what was it about him that made him be the white crush? >> just his swag. the swag that you have. >> oh, man. >> get us and let us see. >> let me see you now. now you are challenged. >> i love it! i love it! >> i'm swaggering. i'm swaggering on feel-good friday. >> but mel gave us a little extra. let's see your extra. >> what do you want -- i mean -- >> air guitar. what do you have? >> tilt down. that's enough. it is a fun show. >> he's got extra swagger because of course you were

nominated for a golden globe. again. >> yes. thank you so much. thank you, thank you, thank you. >> does it ever get old being so special? >> oh, my goodness, come on. no. that was a huge honor. great surprise. i couldn't have been happier. i'm so proud of the show and -- look. i think i was so proud of season two, also. the writing and -- actually the girls' performances in season two i thought were amazing. carly, portia, grace. >> i was on an airplane with both of them. i was flying back from l.a. but you won last year. so this year -- >> yes. >> -- is there extra pressure with the speech in case you win? >> that's it. i feel good with it. >> where is the globe now? >> it is next to something that my son had made for me about five years ago. he carved this thing in this wood piece of wood that said "out of difficulties grow miracles." i put that up on my shelf. now the award is next to that. it is a good spot for it. >> he should go in that business and give it out to everybody.

then like we can all have good fortune. >> that would be nice. >> $12.99. okay. so people might be wondering why we decided to pair christian and mel together. we did research -- >> because we both crushed on each other. >> other than being each other's crush, you guys actually have -- >> it is good you're sitting between us. >> the heat that's coming through -- >> can you feel it? >> my body is like having all kinds of reaction. that didn't sound right. >> that didn't sound right. >> you said earlier you've never met before. just on tv looking at each other. >> that's right. >> so here is the research that we came up with. >> okay. >> this is how we've connected you and why you are here together today. it's not just "freebie friday" for people at home. christian, you were in "interview with a vampire" with tom cruise. tom cruise was in "rain man" with dustin hoffman. dustin hoffman was in "hook" with julia roberts. and julia roberts was in "oceans 11" with brad pitt.

you following me? brad pitt was in "fight club" with meatloaf. and meatloaf was in "spice world" with mel b.! >> yes! >> that is the connection? >> that's how we got you together. >> that's the connection. meatloaf. >> incredible. wow. >> that's how we -- we went through a list. >> i love meatloaf. i borrowed one that was eight pounds when we made the movie and i promised him i'd pay him back. and i didn't. another round of story. >> that reminds me, yesterday was our holiday party, the "today" show holiday party. i borrowed $20 from one of our producers for the coat check. and i -- >> $20 for a coat check? that's a rip-off! >> new york. that's new york prices. >> that was the tip because i always feel so guilty. >> that's nice. >> i feel so guilty -- i

borrowed the tip. can you imagine the holiday party, they were charging employees for the coat check? you want your coat check? here. do we have pictures, guys, from the holiday party? i've got to pay him back. this was us at the holiday party. we'll explain that in a second but it required a lot of honesty. what's your feel-good friday before we move to this game i want to play with you? >> wow. i was thinking about that. i guess it is my dogs. my dogs made me feel good. i wake up in the morning, i got my little dog, she's licking my face to say, take me out for a walk. >> what kind of dog? >> two terrier mixes. they're rescues. >> what are their names? >> hoot and fish. >> who came up with the name hoot? >> she actually came with that name. >> you kept it. >> i kept it because i thought i've never heard that name before and just thought it was adorable. >> and a dog named fish? >> a dog named fish. people think we named him because of hootie and the blow fish. no.

i got fish first. hoot just came. >> what's your feel-good friday? i'm just glad to be in new york. it's beautiful, all the christmas trees and the whole vibe. i love it. that's my happiness for friday. >> we have a little happiness coming up for both of you as well. we have a cookie challenge. i've been in search this year for the perfect christmas cookie. i've eaten tons and tons and i'm just not satisfied. so we have two viewers who are coming in. we were supposed to go to their house but the schedule got crazy. we brought them in and they're going to show us at home how to make these cookies. then we're going it to size them up. it is not a competition. it is just a challenge which your cookie game looks like. here is another challenge. not a competition. we played at our party "never have i ever." at this christmas party -- there are supposed to be rules for how you behave around co-workers. yesterday at the "today" show party, you can imagine. with hoda and hkathie lee. there was don nash.

savannah called in on face time. we asked these questions. here you go. you guys answer and i'll tell you. you have to write. never -- or i have. never, or i have told someone i loved you -- i loved their movie or album without seeing it or listening to it. have you ever said that to someone? never? >> i mean -- >> i'm too honest. >> you're a judge on "america's got talent." >> you have to. >> you've never said you like someone's work and you really didn't? >> no. no. >> christian slater. >> no. i love everybody's work. >> okay. never have i ever used my fame to get out of a traffic ticket. >> ha-ha-ha. >> never, because i don't have a car. you have? >> i have. but it didn't work and he went so what? >> oh, no! >> still gave me a ticket. >> that's no good. yeah, i have.

i have -- >> did you get off? >> did i get off -- i know. yeah. yeah. i did not -- i did get off, yes. >> you did. >> you didn't get the ticket. you got the ticket? >> i can't believe that. that's stunning. >> you should have stood up and did that move this was an actual question asked at the "today" show party. never have i ever been naked -- because i'm texan -- in public. naked. neck-ed. >> go ahead. so you haven't been naked. there is a question from a lady. >> i have. >> you have been naked? >> i have. which i admitted at the party. i was in hedonism, which is a place in jamaica. they had a water slide and i was challenged -- >> you went down a water slide naked? >> it's clear. it's -- yeah. i was in my 20s. it was before i found --

>> where were you? >> i've done it just in my job. for work. >> have you been naked? >> not fully naked. >> come on. >> you have to keep some of -- little bit of something covered. >> that makes me feel good. >> look at you. >> a whole different look about you no you. >> water slide. i'm imagining that. >> it is called young and impressionable. up next -- i'm sweating. mama, i'm sorry. james corden gets all he wants for christmas in car pool karaoke. there was also a hot tub. actor, director, artist and teacher james franco. i bet he's been neck-ed in public. he'll tell us about his new

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...gently remove more plaque and... ...oral-b crossaction is clinically proven to... ...remove more plaque than sonicare diamondclean. my mouth feels so clean. i'll only use an oral-b! the #1 brand used by dentists worldwide. oral-b. brush like a pro. we're talking about al's cold-brewed coffee. mindy dickerson said technically brad pitt was in "interview with a vampire" too so christian slater is closer to mel b. >> mariah carey karaoke. here is your moment. ♪ i don't want a lot for christmas there is just one thing i need ♪ i don't care about the presents

underneath the christmas tree ♪ i just want you for my own more than you could ever know ♪ make my wish come true all i want for christmas is you ♪ >> okay, that's epic. >> that's pretty good! >> that's full-on. >> adele was -- you noticed london in the background. did you know that you got a little love when adele did karaoke car pool? >> yes. yes. i was so flattered. ♪ tell me what you want what you really really want ♪ >> that's so awesome. ♪ if you want to be my future

forget my past ♪ ♪ if you want to get with me >> that's so sweet. >> that was a life changing moment. that's the best. >> man. >> i love it! >> the best, ever. >> how good is that? ♪ tell me what you want what you really really want ♪ >> you know the song, o? toi good morning, i'm meteorologist bill henley. bundle up. wicked cold temperatures this morning. will slowly climb into the 20s but the wind will still be present so even this afternoon you'll feel the windchill in philadelphia. everyone will be dry and enough sunshine to warm the suburbs, philadelphia, and new jersey, up into the upper 20s, closer to 30 degrees at the shore. below freezing in lehigh valley but dry and sunshine and a few clouds in delaware. have a great day and do your best to stay warm. >> i was 20 when he went to hedonism. i'm 46 now.

it's the best day of the week because it is "freebie friday." it's your "freebie friday." we're giving away awesome gifts. we're back right after this. we're back right after this. yes, you at home, you will ( ♪ ) ♪ you gotta to be cool, calm, collected ♪ ♪ look your fear in the eye ♪ you gotta be shaking off the pressure ♪ ♪ gotta be taking your time ♪ had my ups, downs, run-arounds ♪ ♪ my dark and despair ♪ but the best stuff came ♪ when all the sweat wasn't there ♪ ♪ you gotta say ♪ hey-y ♪ ho-o ♪ hey-y ♪ ho-o you're so cold, come in! what's wrong?

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we asked woman to smell two body washethey both smell good.rite. i like b better. i prefer b. b. i would like to smell like this every day. but what was body wash a? ohhhh i love bath and bodyworks. i have this in my bathroom. and what was the one they preferred? ohhhh. this is suave. really? that's quite a bit of smelling good. suave three fragrances preferred over bath and body works.

we're bundled up because it is time, just one more reason to love fridays because we are giving away free stuff. christian, you've been with "freebie friday" before. this is mel's first experience. explain to mel. it goes crazy. >> this is going to be -- yes. loud. >> gives away some dvds. >> but it's fun. >> we're giving away dvds, mel. it is a secret behind these. you guys at home, the people out here think they're just getting -- there's james franco. they think they're going to get dvds but we have major surprise. >> holy mowly! >> it is chilly. okay!

>> hey, hey, hey! >> oh, my gosh. >> your turn. >> i'm going to go over here and say hi. >> hi! >> look at that! >> what's your name? >> penny. >> nice to meet you, penny. there, you've got a gift. right there. >> you have cds and dvds. you actually are getting, if you're holding that basket, an epson home cinema hdtv. >> your own home theater! >> yeah! >> this is actually what you're

getting. let's go over here. >> let's go give this to penny. >> a 740 hd projector online. to find out how to enter, visit our facebook page at facebook.com/today's take. don't forget to like us. tamron? >> that's really yours. it is an hd projector. we just tricked you with the dvds. >> it's not dvds. >> there you go. >> oh, man! >> keep on giving! i love it! >> what a wonderful thing. >> wait a minute. we have more? >> we have more? how many more? >> how many more? >> i think that's it. >> we'll figure it out. just ahead, many people clean their dentures with toothpaste or plain water. and even though their dentures look clean,

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good morning, i'm katy zachry. just a few minutes before 9:30 and we are dealing with dangerous cold this morning. let's get right to your first alert neighborhood forecast with bill henley. >> hey katy. on the air at 4:30 this morning the temperatures in the teens. we're still in the teens but the temperatures started to creep up just a bit. it's now 18 degrees in philadelphia. 16 in new jersey, 15 degrees in the lehigh valley and in the suburbs, filtered sunshine, some high clouds are moving in through the day today. we'll get enough sunshine to warm into the middle 20s by 3:00 this afternoon, topping out in the upper 20s, still cold enough for snow, we'll see some light snow develop overnight tonight. katy? >> all right, bill, thanks for that. pamela osborne looking at

76, giving us any problems? >> it's looking really good. let me step out of the way and show you myself. traffic is moving smoothly in either direction at this hour going in and out of the city so that's a food thing there. i also want to mention there has been trouble with norristown line this morning through septa service because of equipment problems earlier today. it's up and running, train service has resumed. katy? >> thanks for that. a young man is dead this morning and a woman in the hospital after this fire that spread to three row homes in west philadelphia. it broke out on south millick street after 3:30 this morning. fire crews battled the blaze in this dangerous cold. some of the water they used froze on the street and sidewalks. there's no word yet on the cause to that fire. and we have an update on another house fire in frigid conditions in southampton township, burlington county this morning. four fighters and a homeowner were treated for minor injuries. they're all out of the hospital, though, at this hour. we'll have another live update

for you in 25 minutes. now back to the "today" show. we'll see you shortly.

yes, james franco never ceases to surprise us as a filmmaker, screen writer, artist, professor, and actor who has appeared in -- you've done over 130 movies and tv shows? >> don't look at me today. look at this multi-tasker right here. >> some of our favorites include his oscar nominated turn as aron ralston in the movie "127 hours" and the hit comedy, "pineapple express." >> now james is keeping the laughs coming in a new movie, "why him." he plays an eccentric new man who asks his girlfriend's father for her hand in marriage. >> he was turned down but he was not going to let that stop him.

>> why don't you give me a few days to win you over. okay? and by christmas morning, i promise you're going to be calling me son. i'm going to be calling you dad. >> don't think that's going to happen. >> well, i think it is gonna, dad. >> don't. >> dad, come on. >> don't call me dad. >> don't call you dad. >> i'm not your dad. >> well, i mean you're gonna be my dad. >> no, no. >> dad. >> okay, now you're playing with me. >> dad. >> i love it! >> that crehemistry in this fil is amazing. the whole time i was thinking, who did the channel for this character? where was your inspiration coming from? >> sadly, probably a lot from me. but i don't have any tattoos. i'm not -- >> you don't have any tattoos. >> no. >> they were all just painted on? >> yeah. i designed all of those. >> you designed all the tattoos. >> yeah. i drew some of them. and then there is a big tattoo -- i think it is not a

spoiler. there is a big tattoo on my back of the whole family. >> yes. "happy holidays." what a surprise. that was incredible, man! i watched it last night. it's hilarious. some of the artwork in it, right? is that some of your stuff? >> yeah. there is a a bunch of -- >> the cats? >> kind of silly things on the walls. >> the cats? did you do the cats? >> there's like a fat squirrel -- >> oh, yeah. sure. >> you did all of that? >> there was like some -- there's some deer. >> yes. sure. there was some wonderful very colorful paintings. >> are they for sale at all? >> yeah, some of those actually have been sold. they're just replicas of the ones that have been sold. >> how do you find time for all of this? you are a professor, an artist. like the renaissance man. do you sleep? >> no. it's too much. >> sleep is overrated. >> you take like -- >> you're starting to

multi-task. i need to stop. >> we take likes little ten-minute naps wherever we can. that's how we get through it. >> the last time you were here, christian was filling in and you had a movie together that had a racy edge to it. >> he multi-tasks more than i do. >> no, no, come on. that was definitely an edgy one thing. >> i feel the bro love here. >> yes. i like it. >> when you work with him it is great because you become part of a troupe of actors. he's also doing something. it is nice to know that there's going to be an interesting project at some point in the future. >> so mel revealed at the top of the show that you were her white boy crush. >> this was mine. >> that's what i was getting at. >> cat's out of the bag, ladies and gentlemen. >> he was mine, too. >> right. >> and did you hear about her naked slide? >> oh, come on. >> fully naked down the slide in jamaica. >> it was 20 years ago. >> but then you get an immediate

visual? >> no. because you're a nice man. tell me this, have you ever been naked in public? >> oh, good question. >> not for a movie. >> just naked in public. i mean a rooftop, at someone's house. >> sure. >> backyard. >> nudist beach. >> what moved you to just go down that slide naked? >> aren't you curious? >> i'm a competitive person. surprise. someone said, you won't do it. i was 20. like, yes, i will. >> that's all you have to do. >> i dare you to do something. >> i bet you wouldn't do it right now. >> wait a minute. james franco "why him" hits theaters december 23rd. >> you need some help? we asked for your best homemade cookie recipes. if we had more time i'd be naked right now. we're back after a break. this is "today" on nbc. i'm lucky to get through a shift without a disaster.

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last week you may remember we did a shout out for the greatest cookie creations. we ran out of time for me to come to your house but we found two amazing people to bring in to share their recipes. a couple of our viewers. nancy from frederick, maryland, and jackie of scarborough, maine. christian, who's never baked a cookie in his life. >> never. disaster! >> -- is in the kitchen. ladies, welcome. thank you so much. you said you are a little nervous but don't be. you are in capable hands. >> the captain is at the helm here. >> captain has two tenilles. let's hit. >> nancy, this is a better crocker recipe that you found 30 years ago. >> exactly. >> but over time you have changed and adapted it to make it your own. >> exactly. yes. >> is that the story here? >> yeah. >> cool. >> so right now we have the

powdered sugar and some shortening. we are going to put some eggs in. >> yummy. >> i love that you also go with shortening. that's important. shortening is amazing. people forget how great it is. >> i don't flow whknow what tha but fantastic. shortening is a vital ingredient, ladies and gentlemen. >> almond extract. blend that thoroughly. >> nice. >> few minutes. >> are you making the candy canes? >> add some flour. >> do you make these every holiday? >> every holiday. >> do you give them out as gifts? >> well, i used to but my kids want them all. >> how many kids do you have? >> i have four. >> four kids. >> yeah. >> wow. >> and five grandchildren. >> oh, wow! >> a little too much. >> you can turn it off. that's christian's fault.

>> yeah, i did that. sorry. what's the next step here? >> then we're going to take -- how did you turn it red? >> so we have to dye it red. >> you can also make it a little pink. you take the ball and you roll it between your hands. you can have one if you like. one at a time, two at a time. >> i messed it up. >> you roll the dough like this. then we take two strips together. twist them so they don't break. >> except it's called a candy cane. >> of course. >> you can only do one at a time because the dough dries. >> how do you get the shapes? >> once you get the cane -- >> this is the final product right here. >> how long do you bake it for? >> stop rushing her! stop rushing her! >> this is so good! it's incredible!

jackie, you're next. nancy, fantastic candy cane. >> this is delicious. >> you remember your aunt gerry making these when you were a little kid. why do they mean christmas for you? >> well, everybody loved them and she came back making them every year. >> that's so sweet. >> it's been in the family for 55 years. >> these are so tasty. >> what are your key ingredients? >> first, you do the shortening and sugar. and then you add the other wet ingredients like the eggs and the vanilla. and -- >> vanilla is a key ingredient. yeah. >> then you add the dry ingredients. what makes these oatmeal cook s cookies -- >> she said maybe you shouldn't do that. >> now turn it up! let's go! >> your special ingredients -- >> the special ingredients are the coconut, the crushed cornflakes, and then the

oatmeal. you add all of that in there. >> that would go in there as well. >> now you have -- >> that's it! >> then you have the dough. i used to do it by hand and roll it, but then they came out with this little nifty -- >> technology! >> i want to get to the inside of what you have in your cookies. >> since it is sticky you have to -- just squash it down. then you bake it for the recommended time. >> i got to take over. >> is it's chocolate. >> get in there. >> in a double boiler you would mix the chocolate and cream cheese and sugar. >> then you make the sandwiches here. let me tell you. you have lived up to my expectations. thank you so much. they're asking me if there is a winner. both are -- >> how could you pick? >> impossible. you have made christmas great again. thank you both. thank you, ladies. >> thank you so much, jackie.

nancy, amazing. i need some milk. >> your families are so lucky. go to today.com/food to check out their amazing recipes. thank you for your generosity coming in. >> don't talk with food in your mouth. >> let's get good morning, i'm meteorologist bill henley. bundle up. wicked cold temperatures this morning. will slowly climb into the 20s but the wind will still be present so even this afternoon you'll feel the windchill in philadelphia. everyone will be dry and enough sunshine to warm the suburbs, philadelphia, and new jersey, up into the upper 20s, closer to 30 degrees at the shore. below freezing in lehigh valley but dry and sunshine and a few clouds in delaware. have a great day and do your best to stay warm. >> thank you, again, merry christmas, happy holidays. we so appreciate you coming ou . can't see it. can't taste it. but there's so much more to it. here's how benefiber® works.

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"moonlight" is one of the most talked about films this award season with six golden globe nominations. it is the story of an underprivileged boy named shirone as he struggles with his sexuality. i sat down with the cast to talk about the film. >> what happened, shirone? why you didn't come home like you're supposed to? huh? and who is you? >> nobody. i found him yesterday. found him in a hole on 15th. yeah. some boys chased him. he's scared more than anything. wouldn't tell me where he lived. >> with me now, naomi harris who plays his mother, and rahershell plays the part of a drug dealer. good morning to you, cast. this is the most beautiful cast i've ever seen. get that out of the way now.

let me get my crushes out. barry, i left shaking. then i had to look you up and google and where could this have come from. what's the back story? how did you create what's being called a masterpiece? >> so the playwright wrote this piece called "in moonlight black boys are blue" in 2003. when it came to me it was like a baton was passed. terrell and my mom both went through this struggle with addiction depicted by naomi in the film. so it felt like my life, but not my life. >> naomi, so much of this is about a young man's development and finding his place. but the women in his life, including your character, and janelle monet are the queens of this film. this character struggling with her addiction and seeing what it was doing to her son. how was that? >> it was really tough to play. really difficult to be so brutal sometimes to the actors who are

absolutely gorgeous, young, alex hipper, only 11 years old in the film and such a brilliant performer and having to do scenes where i'm shouting at him and i'm really being not a great mother at all. it was really tough. >> travonte, i've never seen anything like this, a depiction of a young, black male in this way. what was that like for you to present a character that if you've ever been to a neighborhood, you know this guy but he's never been on film. >> it was liberating, honestly, to be a part of something that told a story, like as you said, hadn't been told before and have the opportunity to kind of bring that to life was liberating and it was just a wonderful experience. >> in rehearsal, this is the role model, your character, juan, for this young boy. he is as imperfect as anyone could be but this is his only guide to manhood. >> right. >> how do you prepare for something like that? do you pull from your past at all and those role models that mattered to you? >> i think i did on the day i

found myself pulling from my past and those i grew up in close proximity to who resembled juan in some ways. but in preparation for this i really focused on those -- the many beautiful qualities that juan has. he ha is some really wonderful attributes that i aspire to have right now in my life. >> well, as i said, around the board people are calling it a masterpiece. i don't want to jinx you, but have you picked out your oscars outfits yet? you know that's what's important. coordinate. that's my thing. huge cast, coordinate. "moonlig "moonlight" is in theaters now. ac're bk in a moment.

we would like to give a big thank you to our amazing crowd on the plaza this morning. mel b. was our celebrity elf earlier collecting gifts for deserving kids. we're not done yet.

welcome ken from uncle milton toys. good morning. tell us about your donation? >> we're so happy to donate over 150,000 of our most popular science and education toys, including "the virtual explorer which brings together virtual reality, augmented reality and toys all in one product, as well as products like "star wars" science. the ant farm. we created that in 1956. >> you got two celebrity fans out there. we have one more wleeek to dona online or on the plaza. our website has details on it. i want to thank you mel b. and christian. by the way, i don't have a co-host the week of december 26th. i'm back from vacation. >> i'm down. i'm free. >> i just booked the show live.

good morning, i'm katy zachry. few minutes before 10:00 a.m., you're going to want to bundle up if you head out the door into the bitter cold that awaits. meteorologist bill henley if you're tracking the frigid temperatures give us your first alert forecast. >> it is dry even though they're getting high clouds moving in, and the culprit the wind making us feel so much colder. little bit stronger in allentown so it feels like 10 below in the pocono mountains, 4 degrees in

allentown and 8 right now in philadelphia, not much better in new jersey, katy? >> bill, thanks. make sure you have the free nbc 10 app, you can track the cold weather right now and the snow that we are expecting tomorrow morning. happening now a crash involving an ambulance and a car in southwest philadelphia, taking place. sky 410 is live overhead at the scene at 52nd and chester. woman in the car was taken to the hospital. let's bring in pamela osborne who has a check of the traffic in that area and beyond. >> yes, this is 52nd and chester in southwest philly. that's where that accident is right now. the entire intersection that area is closed while they try to get that cleaned out, while they do their accident investigation, so this is an area that you're going to want to avoid if you're heading through this morning. i do want to show you one more thing before we go, and that was actually upper marion, there is

a vehicle fire right by the turnpike in river road underpass. >> good info. thanks for that, pam. another live update in just 25. non-slip shoe into that door. on this side, i want my customers to relax and enjoy themselves. but these days it's phones before forks. they want wifi out here. but behind that door, i need a private connection for my business. wifi pro from comcast business. public wifi for your customers. private wifi for your business. strong and secure. good for a door. and a network. comcast business. built for security. built for business. so i'm calling to see if you can help me save on my energy bill. we can do that. great. i live in a post-war, pre-war, mid-century home and the heating system is a turbine, hvac, reverse hydrogen, boiler pipe unit. well sir, i can see that you live in a twin and based on the size, your usage has been spiking. ♪ that's exactly what i thought.

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>> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. be thankful you're inside. a very cold friday, december 16th. look outside. never come when i or kathie lee are here. somehow when you're here, the crowd arrived. jane kerlikowske is here from "the unbreakable kimmy schmidt." >> must think someone else is up here. >> hi! >> hi. first time