>> the tide sh"today" show is cp next. we'll see you later. good morning. breaking overnight. icon lost. pop superstar george michael dies suddenly on christmas day at the age of 53. the singer first hitting it big with wam before finding even greater solo success. this morning, his manager speaks out revealing a possible cause of death as the investigation moves forward and tributes pour in from around the globe. paralyzing blizzard conditions in the midwest for a second straight day. the storm making it nearly impossible for holiday travelers to get back home. this morning, where all that snow and ice is heading next. avoiding conflict. president-elect trump announces plans to dissolve his controversial charitable foundation as his children find themselves at the center of a

growing storm over links to their father's businesses. so is this just the beginning of a long fight over what to do with mr. trump's vast empire? and, fantastic finish. >> roethlisberger looks, throws it, he caught it, crosses the goal line, breaks the plane. touchdown pittsburgh! >> the steelers clinch a trip to the nfc playoffs, the kansas city chiefs. the road to the super bowl becoming clearer "today," monday, december 26th, 2016. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie. good morning.

i'm tamron hall. matt has the morning off. savannah remains on maternity leave. george michael's home. >> from 1984 to 2004 you would have. hard pressed to turn on your radio in the uk or here and not hear george michael's voice. >> more on the passing of this music great. nbc's steve patterson has more on george michael's life and his career. steve, good morning. >> good morning. the 53-year-old died at his home in england. police were called to the scene shortly before 2:00 p.m. sunday say the death is being treated as unplaexplained but not us suspicion. this morning tributes are pouring in for a music legend behind some of the most

recognizable muse being songs ever written. ♪ freedom freedom >> reporter: it's music that made an entire generation move. those catchy melodies, mixed with a little social commentary. all tied together by glossy, unforgettable hooks, became mega hits. ♪ i don't need your freedom >> reporter: and turned george michael from teen pop singer into an international icon. a career spanning four decades, spawning ten number one singles, selling more than 20 million albums in u.s. alone. ♪ will i your father figure >> reporter: michael rose to fame in the 'early 80s as one half of the pop group wam. ♪ wake me up before you go-go >> reporter: the group became

one of music's biggest acts in the world before they split in 1986. the following year, michael's debut solo album "faith" won critical acclaim including a grammy and generated four number one hits. michael, who wrote and produced nearly every element, also became a world famous sex symbol. in the '90s, he had even more chart success, including a smash hit live duet with elton john. but in 1998, the singer made headlines after being arrested for exposing himself to an undercover police officer in an l.a. public restroom. after the incident, michael came out as gay and became an advocate for aids prevention and gay rights. but the songwriter who achieved so much success in his mid 20s said the attention was too much. he told matt in 2004 he wanted his private life back. >> i was so free to the amount

of attention pointed directly at me. >> reporter: more recently the artist suffered a series of health scares, including a near-fatal bout with he pneumonia in 2011. >> the hospital they rushed me to was absolutely the best place in the world i coulco been. >> reporter: tributes began pouring in almost immediately sunday night. the last christmas for a man who will forever be remembered as a music legend. ♪ last christmas i gave you my heart ♪ >> reporter: officials say there is no sign of any foul play and that an autopsy will be conducted in due time. michael announced this year that a documentary about his life was set to be released in 2017. >> steve, thank you so much. music editor for "people" magazine is here.

good morning. george michael lost at 53. unbelievable news to get yesterday. 100 million records sold, 25 million with wam, another 75 in his solo career that was just incredible. tell me about what you think his legacy will be in the music business. >> he's just a prolific artist and he started out as that quintessential '80s icon. he had, of course, the look that just sent women swooning. the hair. the music was just spot-on. had really great hooks. but he went on to have a career that was so diverse and his talent kind of rose above it all. he had duets with aretha franklin, elton john. he really kind of ran the gamut of what you could do as a superstar, which is what he was. >> you mentioned his style. the famous lyric "sometimes the clothes don't make the man," but his style was so much a part of it, adding to it that talent, a

prolific writer, the performer. >> those earrings. iconic portraits that he took. he knew early on that he was kind of going to be that lasting figure. he took a lot of concern when it came to how he was photographed and his album art, everything to writing the songs, producing the songs. he had kind of like a marketing mind about how to sell very, very early on. >> the tradition he made when he was in wam. he was basically a teenage star. then he starts his career. those three big solo songs that are all hits for him. "faith" wins him the grammy for album of the year. before sam smith, before adele, he really was the voice. an incredible artist. he really fought for his artistic credibility. tell me a little bit about the music he was making before he was lost. >> he always wanted to kind of get out there, be himself and push the nfenvelope. after he got rid of the pop persona, he wanted to be

himself. i had "freedom," he had "faith." some songs were were considered really explicit and were even banned. he wanted to just put his truth out there and he embedded a lot of his personal struggles into his music. we are hearing even up until next year he was planning on releasing new music. that was always his state, where his heart was. >> we'll obviously have a lot more on george michael's legacy throughout the morning including these fan tributes that have been pouring in. also this morning, a blizzard warning remains in effect for parts of the plain states already hit hard by a christmas day snowstorm. travel in the region nearly impossible. we have two reports beginning first with nbc's ron mott. ron, good morning. >> reporter: hey, good morning, tamron. a strange weekend of win the weather. here in chicago the morning after christmas and temperatures are in the 50s. we've got a light rain falling. back to our west, misery. snow and ice causing treacherous

road conditions as millions of people head home and back to work this morning. throughout the upper midwest and plain states, a winter wallop. heavy snow dumped on the dakotas and minnesota, up to an inch an hour. ice storm warnings in effect, slick roads the cause of dozens of accidents. blizzard conditions forcing the airport in rapid city to shut down. in flagstaff, arizona, they are still reeling from a foot of snow, so many wrecks some major highways had to be cluesosed. in utah, they are digging out from two feet of snow. >> we went to bed it was green. we woke up to this. >> reporter: in california, crews are cleaning up a muddy mess in communities north of los angeles this morning. heavy soaking rains causing mudslides, a foot thick in some places. and near the grand canyon, a pennsylvania family got stranded in deep snow. karen klein walked 26 miles for two days to get help for her husband and 10-year-old son.

that's a marathon. her family reports she's in good spirits, albeit a bit exhausted. going forward today though, the trouble spots are in the northeast. you are expecting some snow, rain and some freezing rain which could complicate getting home from this long holiday weekend. >> ron, thank you very much. let's get to more of those mounting delays and cancellations at the airports. nbc's gabe gutierrez is at atlanta's hartsfield-jackson international. gabe, good morning. >> reporter: hi, carson, good morning. thankfully tsa lines here are moving smoothly so far. no major delays or cancellations to report here in atlanta. the world's busiest airport and rough weather across the country could impact travel here in atlanta. but let's take a look right now at flightaware.com's misery map. no major issues to report there. blizzard conditions created major problems, especially in the dakotas on christmas day,

promising many cancellations. and today, as ron mentioned, we could see potential problems in the pacific northwest as well in the east. atlanta's hartsfield is expecting more than 4 million holiday travelers during this season. aaa expecting more than 2.5% -- increase, rather, i should say. so far here at atlanta's hartsfield-jackson, no major issues. the airlines, that usual refrain -- check your listings and arrive to the airport more than two hours ahead of time. many people connecting through atlanta. those delays could pile up at any time. >> gabe gutierrez on the story for us in atlanta, thanks. we are learning more about a suspected cause of a tragic military plane crash in russia. among the victims, members of a world renowned russian army choir. nbc's lucy cavanaugh has more for us. lucy, good morning. >> reporter: tamron, good morning. russia's intelligence agencies saying today it sees no signs of

a terror plot. authorities now scrambling to figure out why this plane went down on christmas day. it is an around-the-clock mission to piece together a deadly puzzle. thousands of emergency workers scouring frigid waters salvaging what they can of what remains. no survivors. all 92 on board dead. the plane departed from sochi bound for a military base in syria but just two minutes after taking off, it plunged into the black sea in near-perfect weather. most of its passengers, members of its world renowned military choir heading to spread holiday cheer in a new year's concert for russian servicemen. this young couple, dancers with the ensemble, were planning a wedding. also on board, a beloved charity worker known simply as dr. leeza, taking much needed medicine to a syrian hospital.

war is a hell on earth, she once said. but kindness, compassion, and mercy are stronger than any weapon. reality is now beginning to sink in for those who loved and lost their dearest. on board a christmas day flight to a war-torn country with a tragic end. singers, dancers, and also nine russian journalists among the dead. president putin declaring a national day of mourning across russia today as the investigation continues. tamron? carson? >> lucy cavanaugh, thank you so much. here at home, president-elect trump is making headlines this morning with announced changes to some of his charitable works, this as a world leader turns to him for support. nbc's hallie jackson is in florida to explain. hallie? >> reporter: hey there, carson, good morning to you. the president-elect is spending his holidays here in south florida but over the last 48 hours, he's focused more on trying to untangle his potential conflicts of interest with his

foundation and an international flare-up with israel. today new tensions between the u.s. and israel after a christmas day summons from prime minister benjamin netanyahu ordering a meeting with the u.s. ambassador furious after the u.s. failed to block a united nations security council resolution reprimanding israel for its settlements in the west bank. the u.s. sending a signal by abstaa abstaining from the vote. israel now accusing the u.s. of orchestrating the resolution itself, something the obama administration has denied. >> as i told john kerry on thursday, friends don't take friends to the security council. >> reporter: netanyahu warning the current administration, he may look past it to the next administration. the diplomatic clash coloring president obama's final few weeks in the oval office. >> hello, everybody! >> reporter: donald trump tweeted the "big loss" for

israel at the u.n. will make it much harder to negotiate peace. also announcing big changes to his charity, plans to dissolve the trump foundation entirely, to avoid any appearance in his conflict of role as president. >> a lot of money goes through trump foundation into charities. >> reporter: his non-profits come under fire and under investigation for how it's spent money. but the new york attorney general says the foundation cannot legally dissolve until an investigation by its office is complete. trump has called that inquiry by the democratic ag partisan. the dnc, scoffing, calling trump's move to disband his foundation "a wilted figure leaf to cover up his remaining conflicts of interest and his pitiful record of charitable giving." now as the trump team works on the transition in south florida, a staff shake-up even before trump takes office. the newly named director of communications pulling out. jason miller saying he wants to spend more time with his family.

incoming press secretary sean spicer set to take over those responsibilities, too. the president-elect still has some high level positions to fill, including those for the secretaries of the va, of agriculture, for the position of director of national intelligence. but given that it is early in the holiday week, don't expect too much action from mar-a-lago. tamron? carson? >> hallie jackson, thank you very much. let's get our first check of the weather. >> we had a big winter storm over the weekend that moved through the sierras and also the rockies now making a turn for the northeast. it is still going to have some impacts as we head into your monday morning. a lot of travelers looking at this snow. right now it will be a big problem for the dakotas. we still have some blizzard warnings through bismarck, rapid city, south dakota, north dakota. you're going to see some blizzard conditions until around noon. gusts to 55 miles per hour. as you head east, a freezing rain threat is ahead of that

front that moves into the northeast. up to a quarter-inch of ice causing problems before you head into your weekend. a little bit busy as well in new york city as a storm starts to move east. we'll watch where the storm is going. you'll see some rain from buffalo to cleveland. in new york city overnight we will see a chance of rain as well, light amounts of rain for us as well. travel conditions in the northeast looking okay so far. that's been a quick look as your that's been a quick look as your i'm so frustrated. that's been a quick look as your i just want to find a used car without getting ripped off. you could start your search at the all-new carfax.com that might help. show me the carfax. now the car you want and the history you need are easy to find. show me used trucks with one owner. pretty cool. [laughs] ah... ahem... show me the carfax. start your used car search and get free carfax reports at the all-new carfax.com.

good morning, i'm first alert meteorologist krystal klei. here's a look at the forecast. most of us will stay dry with isolated chances around the region. later today near the shore. cloudy conditions for all of us. center city up to 50 degrees. mid to upper 40s for parts of the suburbs and closer to the mid 40s for the lehigh valley. in new jersey, 46. for trenton, low 50s along the shore. we may see spot showers as well near rehoboth beach at a temperature of 51. weather.eather. >> thank you very muhank you ve. still to come, the growing controversy surrounding the president-elect's children and their charity work. and, the queen misses a royal christmas tradition. latest on her health scare and how her family spent the holiday weekend. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

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"nbc 10 news" starts now. good morning, i'm katy zachry on your monday after the holidays. let's get to your first alert forecast from meteorologist krystal klei. it was a beautiful sunday? >> it was. it was a very nice sunday. what we're going to look at is the forecast, temperature wise it's similar. this morning it's a cold start especially if you're north or west of philadelphia. 36 in philadelphia, pottstown at 32. allentown 29. mount pocono, only 22 degrees. temperatures are a bit warmer if you drop farther south. what we're looking at is a light rain that fits off to the west. that is tracking our way and should clip the northern end of our viewing area giving us isolated chances of rain, potentially freezing rain for

the morning hours although it does not look likely that we'll see much of any. you can get more updates on 101 moore fam. >> you are looking at the schuylkill expressway? >> that's right, katy. we're watching the schuylkill expressway. vine street expressway. travel speeds 50s and 60s clean and green everywhere you go as far as the new jersey majors, schuylkill and 95. mass transit, we have some septa notifications. >> back to you. happening today, you can expect a mad dash to your local mall by people who want to return or exchange holiday gifts. many retailers are resuming expanded holiday hours today so you can take back the unwanted or unusable presents. several malls reopened in the last 25 minutes. we'll be back in another 25 minutes with another live update.

we are back. it's 7:30 on a monday morning, december 26th, 2016. as we say hello to the post holiday crowd out on the plaza. certainly hope santa was kind to all of you and we appreciate you being here with us. tamron will head out to say hello to the folks in just a little bit. here's a look at the headlines. tributes are pouring in for pop superstar george michael. the 53-year-old died suddenly on christmas day. his manager now saying cause was heart failure. michael rose to fame in the '80s as a member of wam and went on to a successful solo career. we'll look back at his life just ahead. ice, snow and high winds are causing fresh havoc in the upper

midwest. conditions were so bad on sunday several airports and highways in the region had to be shut down. and the nfl's playoff picture almost set. kansas city chiefs knew they made it before last night's game on nbc but still hammered the broncos 33-10. this 70-yard touchdown, one of many highlights. >> great games earlier in the day. pittsburgh stylers tapped a huge comeback scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter to defeat their rivals, the baltimore ravens. antonio brown's touchdown with just seconds to go gives the steeler the win and the division title. he had to reach out just cross the plane, that's it. >> good football this weekend. let's begin this half-hour with president-elect trump's children in the spotlight with the inauguration just 25 days away, their roles in the transition and their father's empire raising questions about

possibly conflicts. nbc's hallie jackson is back with more on that. hallie, good morning. >> reporter: hey there, tamron, good morning to you. the president-elect himself is this weekend announcing plans to dissolve, essentially, his own trump foundation. it is the latest but not the only announcement from a member of the trump family aimed at trying to untangle potential conflicts of interest before the inauguration. in this season of giving, changes to trump charities including donald trump's own, the president-elect now promising to dissolve his namesake foundation. but the office of the democratic new york attorney general says -- he can't. not until its investigation into the non-profit is over. an investigation trump has attacked as partisan. the president-elect not the only trump trying to shutter his charity to avoid conflicts of interest. eric trump's non-profit raised

money for st. jude's children hospital. "the washington post" says he did it to shut down any question to selling access to the president-elect through donations. as unfortunate as it is, i understand the quagmire, he told "the new york times." you do a good thing that backfires. his is not the only non-profit being separated from the trump name either. a foundation created in texas that considered auctioning access to the president-elect now backtracking. the photo-op with donald trump and a hunting trip with his sons -- called off. eric and donald jr. originally listed as directors of that newly created charity now being removed from its leadership. a transition official says they were named in the filing without their knowledge. and in another incident, a charity auction to win coffee with ivanka was ultimately canceled. >> it doesn't matter whether the money raised is for something that some people think is good. the problem is you're not supposed to sell access to the government for any reason. >> reporter: in fact, former first daughter chelsea clinton raised eyebrows during the 2016

campaign for plans to continue on with her family's foundation even if her mother won the presidency. the transition now can be a time for trump's children to tackle any potential conflict of interest issues. >> they're all going to do whatever they need to do under the law. >> reporter: the trump children highly involved in their father's election and now his transition to the white house. >> we need to create policies that champion all parents. >> reporter: already, ivanka trump has telegraphed she wants to focus on child care issues. it is expected donald jr. and eric will stay in new york. >> we'll take care of the business. i think we're going to have a lot of fun doing it and we're going to make him very proud. >> reporter: still, even if donald trump's adult sons do end up running his business, some experts question whether that would really satisfy some of those conflict of interest concerns. let's get another check of the weather. >> it's been a

cooler-than-average temperatures out west for your holiday season. out east, it's been mild and above-average for quite some time. unseasonably warm air has moved into the west and it will continue throughout the week. we will continue to see this warmth today, tomorrow and wednesday. look at these temperatures. chicago, 25 degrees above average. you're going to be at 54 today. even warmer in cincinnati where you're going to be at 67 with above-average temperatures at about 31-plus. taking a look at tomorrow, same thing. the warm kind of spreads out towards the west. we'll see more of a wide range of some above-average temperatures. looking at above-average temperatures in washington. 63 degrees tomorrow. then down to mobile, you're at 75. that is going to be a warm tuesday. now looking at wednesday, still a warm day out there. tampa, 79 degrees where it's been a warm holiday weekend for you. that warmth will continue but enjoy this now because as we head into next week, you are looking at a cooler one ahead with some rain on east coast as well. that's been a quick look at your >> that's your latest weather.

>> thanks so much. so much. as you probably heard, queen elizabeth has been battling a bad cold. sunday it forced her to miss a royal family tradition. nbc's lucy cavanaugh is live in london with more. >> good morning with carson. a rare treat this weekend for some lucky royal watchers who managed to catch a glimpse of will, kate and their little ones decked out in their sunday best for church. but it is who didn't make it to the royal service that has england and the world talking.

>> reporter: it is a christmas tradition, a royal church service. here is the duke of edinboro, followed by prince harry and his dad, prince charles, but this year without the queen. she and prince philip both fighting heavy colds postponing their journey here by a day. it is the first time in nearly 30 years that queen elizabeth was a no-show. but royal watchers were understanding. >> hope she'll soon be well gone. >> reporter: another first, christmas church service for prince george and little princess charlotte. clearly fascinated by the bells, joining mom and dad for a middleton christmas. prince william and duchess kate foregoing the formality of christmas with the queen for a more relaxed holiday with the in-laws. the break with tradition came with a bit of sugary fun. prince george knew what to do with his candy cane. charlotte with other ideas. a practice run, perhaps, for their visit here in five months. that's when pippa middleton and

her fiance, james matthews, tie the knot. but will we hear the sound of wedding bells next year for prince harry? despite her cold, the queen addressing the nation in a prerecorded speech striking an optimistic note. >> on our own, we cannot end wars or wipe out injustice. but the cumulative impact of thousands of small acts of goodness can be bigger than we imagine. >> there you have it. a traditional message from the queen. as you saw, some of younger royals blazing some new traditions of their own this christmas. coming up, why everybody is talking about this photo of a 3-year-old boy celebrating something very special. >> this is the sweetest story. i don't want to miss it. and many happy returns. what you need to know before you head out to the stores today what if we could transform the food system

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we're back now, 7:42. post holiday tradition for a lot of people -- returning some of the presents that you might rather not keep. >> it's okay! nbc's morgan radford is at a hopping center in new jersey. >> reporter: good morning, tamron. that's right. holiday shopping was up big this year. this year's estimate -- $1 trillion. that beats last year's numbers by about 4%. in fact, november sales alone were up 5%. remember, a lot of people didn't want to wait in these lines so they went online. online shopping alone was worth $1 billion this year. that's up 16% from last year. frankly, more than any of us expected. a lot of those online shoppers were procrastinators and they got the benefit of those good deals and even scored some free shipping. but of course, today is the day after christmas. that's when people pack these stores to return those items that grandma got that they

weren't really feeling. if you're going to do that, a few tips before you do. one, make sure that you call those different retailers. different stores have different return policies, especially when it comes to those specialty items like televisions or drones. they may have a separate return policy that evn even the rest oe store. bring your receipt and proof of i.d. adjust your expectations. you may not get the actual cash back but you may get a gift card or store credit. if you were a last-minute shopper, do not be a last-minute returner. we expect to see lines in stores like this all across the country today. >> morgan, that scarf you're wear something super cute if you want to gift that to me next year. >> from my mom, tamron! >> mom's good good taste, thank you, morgan. coming up, still to come. home alone, elf, diehard. which one is the winner of the world cup of christmas movies? we're going to reveal. all right. also, ronan farrow is on orange room duty for us.

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i feel like a quilt. we're back at 7:49. ronan farrow's holding things down in the orange room this week. >> we j just talking about before break, christmas was going to be bittersweet somehow. it happened as america lost another pop superstar on monday. he passed away in his home in england on christmas. madonna saying, "farewell, my friend. another great artist leaves us. paul mccartney, george michael's

sweet soul music will live on after his sudden death. james corden, i've loved george michael. i think you can all relate to a little moment of open twitter insert foot. sarah michelle geller but she did give her condolences to the wrong guy. thankfully boy george is still very much with us. she realized, #ripgeorgemichael. the grammys will be a three-hour in memorium. so many great legends this year lost. bowie, leonard cohen. prince. i know that's a personal loss for you, tamron. >> prince, glen fry and the eagles. >> what was your favorite george

michael song? >> i just said -- i loved his voice. the pop stuff to me was amazing that he did with andrew. his solo career. that record "faith." "freedom," when you hear that song right now -- >> "father figure." i read the lyrics over and over. u 2's christmas message that ha fa has fans wondering what they might be planning. pint size (avo) did you know two areas of your brain can make it hard to lose weight? contrave is an fda-approved weight-loss medicine that may help adults who are overweight or struggle with obesity lose weight and keep it off. contrave is believed to work on two areas of the brain: your hunger center... (woman) i'm so hungry. (avo) to reduce hunger. and your reward system... (woman) ice cream. french fries. (avo) to help control cravings. across three long-term studies, contrave patients lost approximately 2-4x more weight than with diet and exercise alone. contrave is not for everyone. one ingredient in contrave may

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quilted northern works their bathroom experience. but these birds see all and forget nothing. except this one, who has an outlet for a face.

"nbc 10 news" starts now. good morning, i'm katy zachry. a few minutes before 8:00 a.m. on your monday morning. let's get to first alert meteorologist krystal klei. we had a nice sunday. what's on tap today? >> more clouds today. plenty of sunshine yesterday. clouds increasing out there now. 36 in philadelphia right now. just above freezing areas in the suburbs and new jersey. still barely below freezing in the lehigh valley and at 38 degrees in delaware. these temperatures not bad at all as we move into your afternoon. we'll be back to about 50 for the high in philadelphia. as for a look at radar and satellite, not allowed to track. isolated showers may start to move into parts of the lehigh valley and berks county. you can get updates by going to 101.1 moore fm if you're on the road. >> speaking of the road,

francesca ruscio is joining us. >> we're in the king of prussia area, camera on allendale road. pretty busy today and i checked on the schuylkill. problem free everywhere else. katy, i'll send it back to you. >> thanks. today is a holiday since christmas fell on a sunday this year. the city of philadelphia offices are closed. trash and recycling pickup is scheduled for tomorrow. septa trains and buses on a modified holiday schedule and new jersey transit running on a weekend schedule. today is a busy travel day across the area. here's a live look outside philadelphia international airport. if you're flying today, give yourself plenty of extra time to park, check in and get yourself through security. i'm katy zachry. we'll have another live update for you coming up in 25 minutes. you can always get the latest news and weather with the "nbc 10 news" app. now back to the "today" show.

coming up, honoring a music legend. as tributes pour in, in the wake of george michael's death. we'll look back at his career and impact. plus, ninjas in training. children and teens climbing, jumping and swinging through the newest fitness trends. the high-intensity obstacle courses that just might turn your kids into a mini warrior. and royal spotlight. prince george and princess charlotte celebrate christmas in style. george smiling while enjoying a sweet holiday treat "today," monday, december 26th, 2016. visiting from cape cod! >> happy holidays! >> it is our first time to new

york city. >> hello, baton rouge. >> hello to our friends and family in pennsylvania! >> shout out to kevin and jolie in atlanta and south carolina! go tigers! >> good morning, moore, oklahoma! >> merry christmas, virginia. we love "today"! >> woo! welcome back to "today" on this monday morning. matt, savannah and al are off today. we got ronan with us. carson holding down the fort. >> people coming out in the cold for this. >> they are! hi. >> kids are here as well. hello, kids. >> i'm just sorry they're disappointed, i'm matt lauer. we'll try. we'll make it up to you guys. it is time to make room for yet another holiday indulgence

this morning from potato puffs to bacon wrap poppers. let me repeat that -- bacon wrapped poppers. >> so good. >> recipes for some of the most outstanding appetizers for your holidays. but first, today's headlines. here's your "news at 8." tributes are pouring in around the world for george michael. good morning, i'm steve patterson in los angeles. officials say the 53-year-old died at his home in england. his long-time manager told "the hollywood reporter" michael died from heart failure in his bed. fans everywhere are mourning the loss of a music legend. >> reporter: he had a magic touch for a sound that became emblematic of the '80s. michael, rocketed to fame with catchy hits, good looks and charismatic presence.

first with pop duo wham! aside a school mate. before striking out and achieving i had oahis own success as a solo artist and heartthrob. his career spanned four decades and spawned ten number one singles selling more than 20 million albums in the u.s. half of those sales led to his solo blockbuster "faith." michael's arrest in 1998 for lewd acts in a los angeles public restroom and subsequent run run-ins with the law for drug possession and a dui, turned him into tabloid fodder. he prided himself on charitable cause is like aids awareness . d "don't let the sun go down on me" with elton john got worldwide acclaim.

more tributes poured in on sunday night, including his wham! band mate, tweeting god didn't give you, you did, old friend. >> officials on this say there is no sign of any foul play. his publicist said the singer passed away peacefully. >> steve, thank you. president obama and his family are spending the holidays in his home state of hawaii. on christmas day the president was joined by first lady michelle obama and visited several hundred u.s. marines and their families at a base in oahu. the president thanked them for their service and said it would be his last time addressing them while in office. >> i just all of you to know that it has been the privilege of my life to serve as your commander in chief. >> mr. obama added that his gratitude to the military won't

stop when his term ends saying that he stands with them every step of the way. carrie fisher's mom, actress debbie reynolds, tweeted for the first time on christmas day sharing that her 60-year-old daughter is stable and if there is a change, we will share it. reynolds also thanked friends and fans for their prayers and good wishes. fisher best known for her role as princess leia in the "star wars" saga. she suffered a heart taattack oa flight to los angeles. next, the royal show stoppers. prince george and princess charlotte appearance that everybody's talking about on christmas day. then a personal connection to one of our most memorable stories of 2016. and, prepare to be amazed. members of the illusionists are here. apparently they'll go into our

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we are back at 8:08. if you're all ready, it is file for what's "trending" today. ronan farrow joining us. you guys catch some christmas movies. >> i did. "moana." >> it is one of the most devicer topics around the holiday season, what is the best christmas movie. a twitter poll was taken and after 1.5 million votes, "home alone" took the top spot. apparently people love to see

joe pesci get injured in multiple ways. >> al roker right now is asleep, just woke up. we've had this battle for four years now. we thought it was divided between gender lines because many times social media people will say i don't think this is a christmas film. this is a guy's version of a christmas film. >> it takes place in the christmas season. >> where is "love actually" on this list? we have a studio filled with women who are visiting us. >> i am not a "love actually" fan. >> have you seen it. >> oh, i have sat through the whole of "love actually." >> do you go by grinch at home? >> it is a film about sociopaths. everyone's running after each other. prime minister's shirking his duties. >> you haven't do a strong

opinion. >> here's one of the most heart warming stories. even ronan will love this one for the holiday season. this photo has got me. look at this. this is a 3-year-old, his name is michael from phoenix. it's gone viral showing the moment that he was officially a i don'ted out of foster care. his sign reads -- some things are world the wait. 832 days in foster care. the photo was taken by his new 17-year-old sister. it's been retweeted 57,000 times, receiving 142,000 likes. mike the now has three sisters and a mom to call his family. his new mom saying that the viral photo is the definition of his personality. >> what do you have to say about that? >> that's beautiful. what's the tallest height that you've seen a cat fall from and still land on its feet? that's a horrible question. >> top of a car. >> tell me the story off camera. >> turns out firefighters in new zealand were called to get this

cat out of a tree. but instead of waiting for rescuers, the cat decided that it's a cat. amazingly, she then scurried away from the firefighters before they could catch her. she's probably used a lesson about palm trees. one thing i noticed over the holiday weekend, there are so many viral videos of cats and christmas trees. >> it is the reason for the internet. >> not liking christmas wrapping paper. let's get o some "popstart!" today. first up, celebs marked christmas in their own special ways. of course they shared their favorite moments online. miley cyrus and liam hemsworth marking the first christmas with their dog, doris. >> my other fellow "voice" cohort, gwen stefani with blake shelton.

jessica simpson showing off what was left of her christmas tree after her son knocked it over citing the grinch at his inspiration. finally, chrissy teigen shared this picture from christmas morning showing off her hatchimal. writing "we are all pretending this is for luna," her daughter. u2 getting fans excited on tuesday after teasing what's ahead for the band in 2017. >> happy splchristmas. happy christmas, everyone. i think it is going to be a big year for the u2 group. we have songs of experience coming and to honor 30 years of the joshua tree, we have some very, very special shows coming. very special. >> i think we should go to one of those very special shows. next year marks the 30th

anniversary of their hit album, "the joshua tree." u2 will likely be coming state side for some special stadium shows. prince william and duchess kate marked christmas with an annual church service but 3-year-old george enjoying the morning service with a little candy cane there, smiling at other churchgoers. his sister, charlotte, tried to use her candy cane as an actual cane while walking with her mom. royal family was spending time in kate's hometown spending time with her parents and sister, pippa. >> i wanted to dress like the royal children. >> we'll get you a candy cane. all this week we're wrapping up 2016 with stories that touched us in a major way. my pick was visiting safe horizons rose house. it is a domestic violence shelter here in new york. and the person with me on this trip was rocker dave that vnavn.

>> what was it like to walk into the shelter and see kids? >> i walked in here and the first thing i saw was a 3 or 4-year-old girl and my heart just broke because that could have been me. if this place had been here in 1983, my mom could have come here. and to see these little innocent lives who have already lived through some pretty terrifying stuff, that's heartbreaking. i'm so sorry to be here but thank god you're here. >> reporter: dave navarro the guitarist and tv host knows firsthand about the shame and silence of domestic abuse victims. his mother was murdered by an ex-boyfriend when dave was just 15 years old. >> as a grown plan i can look back and go what 15-year-old kid is supposed to know how to handle this? but it still lives with you the guilt and the shame and i think speaking of shame, that's one of

the things that kept my mom silent. >> reporter: in his documentary "morning son," -- >> my memory of my mother had always been shrouded in darkness. to celebrate her life and it make it so i could walk away from telling the story feeling closer to here than i had been. my mom really tried to protect me from what was happening. so i really didn't know much until it was too late. i later learned that she wanted to look into a shelter. i don't know how far she got down that road. >> hello, safe horizon hot lines, this is stephanie. >> reporter: even with resources like shelters, when an abused woman decides to live, experts call it the most dangerous week. >> that's often when the violence often increases the most and when the person is most likely to be killed because the abuser finds they are losing

control so they use that behavior to threaten them out ofmakering those decisions. >> having this little tricycle here, just symbols of childhood everywhere. it speaks to how many children are here. how many do you have? >> here in the shelter today we have over 100 children. >> reporter: safe horizon runs eight domestic violence shelters in new york. this one, rose house, is the largest. >> kelly, this is one of the most important rooms at the shelter because of the number of children who end up here. >> those people when they think about domestic violence think about the adult survivor but forget, over half of our beds are filled actually by their children. >> people visualize i think a shelter as many just that, a bunch of beds. stacked up. their safe place for the night. but that's not what a shelter is. >> we want them to come in and know this is a place where they can be safe first. >> here each family gets its own apartment. this is a an apartment with a kitchen. while living here the domestic abuse survivor discover a hidden

talent -- art. >> that is her and her son walking toward the light. she describes that as what this experience in shelter has been like for her. >> reporter: we disguised her voice. you took that brave step. how do you feel now that you know you did it? you made the choice? >> i'm in control of my own self. i shall not allow nobody to treat me like that and i feel stro strong. i feel very strong. >> another survivor agrees. >> it's not my fault. why is it my fault that i love? we all are human and i know that there are women that are out there that are embarrassed. just as i was. >> when you look at your future now what do you see? >> i see nothing but happiness. >> navarro wants to share that message, too. >> there is a way out, and it is possible to have a rich,

fulfilled, happy life in spite of whatever trauma we go through. i've survived domestic abuse, murder, drug addiction, i am so grateful to be on the other side of that. you're not alone. and nothing is insurmountable. >> what a great message from dave. he received glamour award, safe horizons, inspired difference. nothing is insurmountable. it was a special story for me in 2016. >> some women lose their lives. now take a check of the weather here from shawna. >> we have a storm moving into the pacific northwest. not only do we have that storm moving through the country but you can see rain and snow will be impacting. winter storm warnings and watches ahead of the sfonow. hello to all my friends in bed -- you are looking at

good morning, i'm first alert meteorologist krystal klei. here's a look at the forecast for today. most of us will stay try. isolated chances of rain throughout the region. cloudy conditions for all of us, centre city up to 50 degrees, mid, upper 40s for part of the suburbs and mid-40s for the lehigh valley. we may see a spot shower near rehoboth beach at a temperature of 51 this afternoon. the wildly popular lip syncing app. you've probably seen your teen teenager use it. it is taking the music world by storm. here's nbc's jo ling kent. >> reporter: it's the app that makes every teenager feel like a pop star. ♪ i can make your hands clap >> reporter: musically one of the faste esest growing social a

platforms with a million counters and using. all you do is pick a song, reverse your camera and lip sync along in selfie mode. it's become so big pop stars like ariana grande and selena gomez have signed on. with 13 million new videos become posted to the app -- >> is this a new way to become a star? >> yeah. i definitely think musically is a way to get out there for a career career. >> because it lets anyone join. >> that's why it is so cool. >> that's why it is so fun. >> reporter: they would know. the sisters, danny and devon, have nearly 1 1/2 million fans on the app. it is so crazy to think about we just started uploading videos is and so many opportunities have come to us. dancing ones. we got to be on "billboard"

magazine. >> reporter: alex hoffman, the president, says the app is a national stage for kids who grow up on social media. >> a lot of people see these talents and start reaching out to them, whether it is a model agency that signs them, a music label that signs them. >> reporter: the sisters say the music to musically stardom is facial expressions that are on point and app's slow motion function. ask danny and devon to show me how it is done. >> one more time. >> reporter: but along with the fun and fame, come privacy concerns from parents like jessica, the mom of three musically on successed boys. >> i like that they're active and they're involved. i get worried with anything online or any apps. security is a concern. i know there is internet predators and my boys are young. >> reporter: in its terms of service, musically says musers, as they are called, need to be 13 years old. >> talking about 10, 13, 16 year-olds. how do you make sure their privacy is protected. >> >> i mean this is a very

serious topic and we take a lot of precautions to make sure the users are safe on the forum. there are settings that allow a user to put her or his account on private so only that your friends can follow you. >> it is always good to have a discussion with your kids about what they're doing. not just because you want to know who it is they might be in contact with or who might be watching their videos but just to be able to enjoy it with them. >> reporter: as the app goes after the charts, kids with big dreams singing to the tune of social media stardom. for "today," jo ling kent, nbc news, los angeles. >> so interesting. we were just talking about kids and age appropriateness when it comes to having phones and those apps. >> 13 for that one. >> this makes me feel old on social media. i'm not on musically. i will be. i'll be better. now to something that it looks like it belongs on the set of nbc's hit competition show ""american ninja warrior."" apparently that's the point. >> high-intensity obstacle court gyms are a growing trend across the country.

as janet shamlian shows us, a lot of the ninjas in training are kids. >> reporter: it's a maze of craze. wall climbing. rope swinging. a mind-bending 30,000 square feet of challenges. >> it takes us a good 25, 30 minutes to get leer after school but it is worth it. >> reporter: at iron sports in houston and spaces like it across the country, the inspiration comes from high-energy reality tv. america ninja warrior airs on nbc and esquire network and just wrapped its eighth sooeason. fit athletes on a jaw-dropping obstacle course. now everyone wants in. >> how old are you, sweetie? >> 4. >> are you a ninja? >> yeah. >> beautiful! >> reporter: sam san originally built the gym for himself. a competitor on the show for five seasons. at 49, he's twice the age of

most rivals. now sharing his enthusiasm with an even younger demographic. >> i saw you on "american ninja warrior" before. >> oh, okay! >> reporter: more than a dozen classes a week for children and teens. >> i come about three times a week. >> reporter: about $20 a session. weekends are packet with birthday parties. >> are you surprising to you, you are succeeding a the a time when kids are increasingly looking at their screens? >> but you know what? here in our facility our kids do not have time for that. i think the adult is the one looking at screen. not kids. >> reporter: open to adults, too. >> lean back, lean back. >> i'm leaning back. >> step back. one more. >> not just the hard core linked. the irony. almost all these kids caught ninja fever while sitting in front of a television. >> they're learning self-confidence. they're learning to take care of their bodies. they're learning the value of hard work. >> reporter: the latest fitness

trend for little warriors. channeled everyone's inner ninja. for "today," janet shamlian, nbc news, houston. >> man! >> that's just fun. >> i could not do any of that. >> gyms are converting their regular set-ups, incorporating a lot of those obstacles. >> i like that. >> let's take a second to mention a new season of ameri n "american ninja warrior" returns to nbc and esquire network next summer. and we've got some new year's eve appetizers.

good morning i'm katy zachry. let's get to meteorologist krystal klei with your weather. >> temperatures still chilly out there this morning. we're 37 degrees in philadelphia and freezing mark pots down 32 degrees. allentown at 30 and mt. pocono 22 degrees, but a bigger warmup down south, we're seeing some near 40s and 43 degrees in atlantic city. radar and satellite a wide view. showers passing through the central parts of pennsylvania. they'll be through the northern end of our viewing area in the form of isolated rain showers later today. better chances of rain move in tonight through your tuesday morning across the entire area.

francesca ruscio is keeping an eye on an accident. >> an accident over new jersey at strategic, you see the graphic, expect some delays. we're seeing a line of yellow, delays anywhere from five to ten minutes. back to you. happening today, expect a mad dash to area malls from shoppers who want to return or exchange their holiday gifts or buy items on sale. many retailers resuming expanded hours so you can take back the unwanted or unusable presents. most malls will be open by 9:00 this morning and stay open late. today marks the beginning of kwanzaa, the week-long celebration of african heritage, marking its 50th anniversary this year. i'm katy zachry. we'll be back with another live update in 25.

8:30 now on a monday morning, december 26th, 2016. of course, the day after christmas. tree still looking good. bill hello to our huge holiday crowd here on the plaza. nice to see you. >> wait a minute. we've got to show this sign. >> i got my sign. >> shawna visiting us from knbc out in los angeles. >> you gets fans pretty quick, shawna. >> you know him? let me get some security. ahead, some blind blowing

magic from two proud members of the illusionist. you may still be full from your christmas dinner. coming up, four mouthwatering appetizers sure to be a crowd pleaser at your party. first let's get a check of the weather from shanna. >> let's take a look at this week. some snow and wind through the dakotas. rain through texas. illinois, chicago, a little bit of rain as well. moving into wednesday, you'll see the rain spread throughout the southeast. dry for the west now. we'll see a chance of rain and snow in the pacific northwest by friday. we are looking at some cold on the way. below normal temperatures out in the west. that's going to move towards the east but for now looking at much warmer weather for the east coast. above normal temperatures through the dakotas, illinois looking at warmer temperatures for you through thursday. enjoy this warm, mild weather.

by next week we are going to start to cool down and snow i s good morning, i'm first alert meteorologist krystal klei. here's a look at the forecast for today. most of us will stay dry. isolated chances of rain throughout the region. primarily focused near the hee lie valley today near the shore. cloudy conditions for all of us, centre city up to 50 degrees, mid, upper 40s for part of the suburbs and mid-40s for the lehigh valley. in new jersey 46, for trenton low 50s along the shore. we may see a spot shower near rehoboth beach at a temperature of 51 this afternoon. >> that's your latest weather. back to you inside. now to our ongoing series "senior scams." older americans are being swindled out of some $3 billion this year. >> this morning, one of the ways crooks are getting them to hand over cash and more, here's nbc's

jo ling kent. >> reporter: it is a call no grandparent wants to get. >> he said, hi, grandma, this is brian. he said, well, i'm okay but he said, i'm in a bit of a jam. >> reporter: last summer, shirley said she answered the phone to hear her desperate 22-year-old grandson on the other side. >> he said, i was out celebrating my friend's birthday and i got a dui. >> reporter: shirley says she begoon panb began to panic. he wants to get on the fire department and i knew with a dui there was no way he was going to be hired. but then brian tells his grandmother he found someone who could help. >> he said he got a prosecuting attorney that wants to talk to you. the man came on, introduced himself. he said what we need do, go to the bank, pull out $4,000 in cash. buy eight $500 i tune cards and call me back. so i did all of this. >> reporter: shirley then says the man called her back. sheep read all the numbers off

the i-tunes cards. i got home, i hadn't heard from brian. i thought that's funfy that he didn't call me and at least thank me for helping him out. >> reporter: it was only after shirley called her daughter's brian's mom, that she realized it was all a scam. her grandson wasn't the man on the phone and he never got the dui. >> i was devastated. $4,000 is a lot of money to me but i do anything to help my grandkids. >> reporter: shirley isn't alone. according to the aarp, senior citizens have lost millions of dollars to scams. shirley's daughter encouraged her to call the police immediately. apple says it is working to educate their customers on scams involving itunes gift cards and the company makes every effort to return money to victims. >> apple sent me my $4,000 in a check. so i received my money back. >> reporter: so how did the scammers target shirley? she thinks they found personal information about her and her family in her husband's

obituary. >> from that obituary is how they got my name and knew that i had a grandson, brian. and he was the oldest and would probably be in his 20s. >> reporter: experts say there are ways to protect yourself. first, set up a code word with your family so you know it is a real emergency. never pay for anything in pre-paid gift cards. and ask a friend to be your sounding board. call that friend before handing over any. money. >> why do you think people target good people -- >> gullible. we're very gullible. we believe. we trust people. that's just the way we were brought up to you. >> and it happens. >> it happened. so my goal is to help other grandparents not go through this. >> reporter: for "today," jo ling kent, nbc news, toledo, ohio. >> scams are scams. but on seniors, that's just terrible. >> that they're increasing now. coming up next, some unbelievable illusions that will leave you speechless. speechless, better than

walletless, i hope. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

we're back at 8:38 with the magic. >> they're taking their act to new heights in "the illusionists." great to have you here. tell us a little bit about the show. how is it going, by the way? >> very good. >> it's going really good, yeah. >> cool run so far, yes. >> it is amazing. we have a lot of shows. there are a lot of families coming, a lot of people -- it's sold out almost every night. so -- >> right on times square in the palace theater. >> how do you prepare for this kind of fame and mystery that people have surrounding what you do? >> i mean we were thankful after

"america's got talent" after this roller coaster in the summer. now everyone knows us. they are coming to the show. they are happy if they can meet us, get a selfie or if they can just watch it live in front of their eyes. >> what is the number one thing people ask you to predict? >> well, most of the time it is -- >> they always say, you should play the lottery. >> we playeded. and we won. >> yeah. $2. >> that's it? >> yeah. here. my winning ticket. but yeah. that's not what we do today. >> explain a difference between a clairvoyant and -- >> in the illusionist we have all kinds of characters. everyone has a special unique character. in our case we are the clairvoyants. everything we do, it is not happening, it is not appearing, it is not vanishing, it is happening in your mind and in your head. we're going to try something. i asked for a couple of things and you brought them. that's very nice. one is a cup.

and a dime. put your hand on top. shake the whole thing. look at what number is on top. >> one. >> one more time shake it. this time its number? >> 2. >> we'll do it one last time a little bit different. just take the cup and put it like this on the table. without looking. >> we will look away and you will have a look. just for you. you know the number? >> i do. >> now face emily and count loud from one to six now. >> one, two, three, four, five, six. >> wow. carson, you counted pretty fast. it makes it kind of challenging for me. >> want me to do it low slow? >> no. that's good. i like challenges. it wasn't a high number. it was not a 5 or a 6.

not a 1. did you hear it? there was something very different in his voice and also this blink in your left eye when you said the number 2. >> are you kidding me? it is number 2. how did you do that? i tried to emphasize another number. >> i will just do a little note. number 2 it was. a lot of people say it is 1 out of 6. we'll do it a little bit more complex. we'll do it 1 in a million. i ask you to bring your handbag. emily will look away, cover her eyes with her hands. >> is that because there's 1 million products in your bag zp. >> i a many so scared. >> just take a two, three, four things and place it on my hand. there is really a lot of stuff inside. >> su already chose something. i have are the feeling it is a small object. you can open it, twist

something. must be lipstick. >> that's correct? >> is that an easy guess? don't most women have that? >> there is a number on it, isn't it? >> what is the next object? >> the next object seems to be a box. >> what's inside? >> they are glasses. >> how did you know that? something else, something very soft. must be the cleaning cloth. >> how about this? >> did you see the fake eyelashes that fell out? that's what just came out. >> i saw something that contains liqu liquid. i have the feeling it's spray. >> how much was it? >> it was $24. >> that is correct. >> that's unbelievable. >> you know what? i will just do a little note for me. we had no idea what's coming up. $24 it was. just write down 24. but you know what? we thought today we ought to do something totally different. >> wow, that's amazing. >> i'm freaked out. >> you're fine.

today want to do something we've never done before we have amazing crowd outside. i would love to go outside and play a little bit with them. >> okay. do you need my purse? what's been the biggest change in your life? >> well, since we started "america's got talent," for us it was a huge step to come to america, the people get to know us here. it is just amazing how the acknowledgement we get here from the people in america. we just love performing and share our passion. >> talk to me about skeptics. you went into my bag. you said lipstick. probably half the women out there have lipstick in their bag. what do you tell skeptics? >> there are those who come to show and just sit back and let magic happen and enjoy it. then there are those people like, hmm, how does that happen.

>> well, the guys are outside on the plaza. >> we are outside. tommy's asking me to take the pad and pen. i'm going to write down some numbers. >> first of all, amelie is blindfolded. please look in your pockets for any objects. take it out but do not say what it was. >> hold an object in your hand from your pocket. but don't say what it is. >> now let's start with this. >> don't say what it is. >> is it a cell phone? >> that is correct. >> the color? >> it's white. >> cool. the color on the back? >> that's pink. >> the brand? >> it's an iphone. it must be verizon. >> is it all correct? >> yes. >> it is verizon. by the way, what is your lucky number between 1 and 45? >> i have to say it? >> yes. >> 9. >> that's correct. thank you.

we'll write down just the number 9. nice. on this. whatever it is. >> this is health related. i have the feeling it has something to do with the breath, with the lungs. it is an asthma inhaler. >> that is great. >> yeah. if you have a close look you can see the year when it expires and also the month. i pleebelieve it is november 20. >> is it correct? >> november 2017. thank you! do me a favor. 2017. just write down 17. >> that seems to be lip balm. >> that is also correct, right? there's also an expiration date on it. can you tell us? >> that's april next year. april 2017. >> that's also correct. >> oh, my god. yes. >> do me a favor. what is your lucky number between 1 and -- let's say 50. >> 33. >> 33. can you write down 33? we need $1 bill.

anybody has some money, some cash on you? >> i do. >> you do? you can select any bank note from the audience. we'll do it with this one. >> you have a bank note in your hand and the person who gave it to you doesn't trust us at all, right? it is a $1 bill. >> yes, it is $1. okay, cool. we'll try maybe the impossible. you all notice a serial number on every single bill. >> yes. >> that's exactly what i want to know from amelie. >> you want her to read that? >> there is such a huge distance between the two of us. but i think i get it. the first number must be a 2, yes? >> yes. >> 4 -- >> yes. >> 0. >> yes. >> 3. >> yes. >> and the last four numbers -- i sense a 9. >> yes. >> 7. >> yes. >> 1. >> and the last. >> and the last number is a 9. >> is that correct. your bill, right? and the serial number. thank you! one last thing.

what is your lucky number between 1 and 50? >> 22. >> do me favor, write down 22. we have 2, 24, 9, 17, 33 and 22. you remember? >> just random numbers. >> throughout the whole thing. because maybe you thought -- everything was random but you remember at the very top of the -- of our show we were talking about a lottery ticket where we won $2. >> if these numbers correspond with that ticket -- >> just read out from left to right and the numbers if they match just circle them. 02, 09, 17, 24, 33, and your lucky number was 22. the powerball is? >> 22. >> get out of here! you kidding me! i almost said 24. how did you do that? >> lucky it isn't. >> thank you all, very much. are you amazed?

>> yes. >> that is amazing. tommy, thank you so much. amelie, thank you. >> i don't even know what to say! all right. >> speechless. >> thank you. our blinds are blown. catch "the illusionists" on broadway through sunday. we have the perfect appetizers that ring in 2017. but first, this is "today" on nbc. that's incredible! >> thank you.

welcome back this morning on "today food," happy new year to all. we are a getting the party started early with appetizers that are easy, fun and, most important, delicious. >> let's do it. the author of "the quick six fix" stewart, good morning. >> potatoes, obviously i'm irish. going to do potato puffs. boil our potatoes. good tip is cut them really

small. they cook faster. we'll put them into a ricer. >> i just bought a ricer. it's the best christmas gift to give next year to anyone. >> even if you are just making mashed potatoes. if you do it this way, you don't have to put them in a blender. >> i've never seen that. >> we add in our herbs, garlic powder, salt, pepper. add in the eggs, chicken brought. then we are left with this. we put a tablespoon right no. one tablespoon in the bottom. add a piece of cheese. >> can you do any size? >> if you do a large anticipate piese larger appetizer, do a larger one. >> what type of cheese?

>> i love sharp cheddar. scoop this back on top. cheese on top. in the oven, 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. you get this. >> you can stuff it. >> from stuffing to wrapping. >> we've got jalapenos. ever since i moved here to america you guys are treating me to jalapeno poppers. you take out the seeds, slice it in half. take out the seeds. be careful, wash your hands. i did it once, touched my face. >> same thing happened to me. >> offense here, slice them in half. add cheese. everything's better with bacon. as you say. wrap it in bacon. i like to put the crease at the bottom.

so. doesn't fall apart. >> taking out the seeds takes out some of the extra heat. >> yeah. >> then you get these in there. 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until the bacon becomes crispy. >> this looks good. >> tamron, what's it like? >> delicious. >> this is a really simple appetiz appetizer. we got pears. if you literally have ten minutes before people come over new year's eve. get some bleu cheese. cut it up. put it to the side of the pear. beautiful prosciutto right around it. doesn't have to be perfect. just like wrap it around. take off any excess. >> i like this because you keep it moving. >> get all your friends together. a toothpick if you are scared about it falling apart. on a tray like this. drizzle with olive oil at the

very end. >> if you're not going to do a meal, this will get you full. >> i could load up on this. >> the recipes are at today.com/food. we're back in a moment. this is nbc.

listen, these meatballs are

amazing. titus burgess is my co-host filling in for al. dr. aczar also sticking around. 2017 healthy habits we all want to start up. we've got more illusions. good morning. i'm pamela osborne. your time now is 8:56. right to your first alert neighborhood forecast with meteorologist krystal klei. >> hi, pamela. we're looking at temperatures slowly starting to climb up. we're at 37 degrees in philadelphia. live camera view showing off the clouds we expect to blanket. cloudy across the board. temperatures right now just above freezing in the suburbs and at 35 degrees in new jersey.

take a look an update to the lehigh valley 32 degrees and delaware at 38. the concern for freezing rain as precipitation starts to move in is dropping, more than likely isolated showers. there's a look at your radar and satellite moving over central p.a. now but it will be headed our direction. let's get a traffic check with francesca ruscio. how is it looking out there? >> we're over in centre city watching the vine tree expressway, so far doing good, travel speeds in the 50s and 60s and we're looking at our intersection around broad street. back to you. happening today, a dash to the malls by people who want to return or exchange their holiday gifts. many retailers will have expanded hours today to take back unwanted or unusable presents. several malls opened up within the past 25 minutes. others will be open by 9:00 this morning. today is a holiday, since

christmas fell on a sunday this year. philadelphia offices are closed, trash and recycling pickup is tomorrow. septa trains and buses are at a modified schedule today. new jersey transit is on a weekend schedule. also today philadelphia's annual hanukkah parade will roll through the streets at center city. i'm pamela osborne. have a good day.

this morning on "today's take," the best party treats to ring in the new year and how to keep tose new year resolutions. plus, on the day after christmas, a round-up of returns and best deals of the week. and tituss burgess is our special co-host. all that and more coming up next. >> announcer: frombc news, this is "today's take," live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. hey, everybody! welcome to "today" on this monday morning. december 26th, 2016. it's a miracle! tamron hall, along with our special co-host for the day,

tituss burgess on netflix superstar "unbreakable." okay. it is a fascinating thing to have you here. we've been just in love with you since you came on to talk about the show. it was like a year ago. you've been on our wish list. now a day after christmas we get you. what did they offer you? >> you guys have been good kids so santa dropped me off. >> would you be a naughty or nice gift? >> depends who you ask. >> i was in texas this weekend. the first full week that i've spent in forever because of the crazy work schedule. i showed my mom "unbreakable." she's just getting into netflix. >> i love it. >> she's solely watching because of you. mary newton. hi to your mom. is she watching? >> she is watching.

she gave me this bowtie for christmas. >> why did mom go for the bow? >> she never knows what to get me. i've not been home enough to know what to buy me these days. >> did you say because are you a tv star you need a bowtie. >> i said just get me whatever you want. this is what came in the mail. >> today is the big return day. >> i don't do a lot of shopping. so i ask people not to give me things because i don't want to give them anything. >> i love that. so not because you don't want it. you just don't want to give anything back. >> i give you love. i show it all year long. that's it. >> did you get your mom something? >> i got my mom a mercedes-benz. so -- >> what? >> that was like back in january. >> wait a second. >> it was christmas and birthday all wrapped in one. >> my mom, mom, please close your ears. i don't foresee a mercedes any

time soon, unless it is a match box car. you've given your mom a mercedes. >> yes. >> how does that feel, all of the success to be able to bestow this gift on your mom? >> well, she's been talking about it for years and years and years. well before i was in a position to be able to do that for her. and so she finally found something that she wanted and my stepdad and i spoke on the phone, i was like, let's figure out how we can do this without her knowing. she just, the look on her face was priceless. >> i only see commercials where someone gets a car. i don't think people really got that. the new season, season number three, what's going to happen? >> it's going to be so good. you find out -- >> tell me. >> you find out a lot of information about where we left off. that's the best i can do without getting tina fey angry with me. it is funnier than in past

seasons, if that's possible. it is sharper and faster. we dive in. >> really. >> it is such a joy to film so far. >> ellie kemper is like my sister from another mother because she's been on our show. she co-hosted for an entire summ summer. >> jane krakowski said hello. >> i think we are obsessed with the entire cast. this past season, one scene i am obsessed with. i am a horrible dancer, i am a horrible singer. but it is my dream to re-enact at some point in my life this scene. i see this, that's me and you. >> we'll have to do it, tamron. >> because that's your character characte character's wife, vonda. >> i had been mean to her, and we make up and do a very new york thing in the train station.

>> did you choreograph that? >> i did not choreograph that. i was barely able to do it. >> do you remember the moves? >> just a little shoulder pop. >> shoulder pop. you're going to be around in a couple of days this week. i think before you leave that's the only thing i want for christmas is for us to re-enact that. i want to a fro like vonda. >> we'll do it. >> tell me about your christmas. >> i was a bit of a scrooge. >> why? >> we've been filming so much. of course, hours are very long. i was exhausted but i made plans to have some people over for christmas eve. i was cooking and of course i was behind schedule. so my partner who was supposed to be at the table chopping some celery for me because i was making this stuffing, i was frying some chicken. instead of doing his job he grabbed my phone and starting

filming me. which sent me into -- >> it's on your instagram? let's see what happens. ♪ noel noel noel born is the king of israel ♪ >> who sings like that while frying chicken? >> i was like, no, chop. >> is that your favorite holiday song? >> we were just listening to a version of it. it was stuck in my head. ♪ it's christmas time is here ♪ >> can you sing it? let's everybody at home slide in ♪ christmas time is here happiness and cheer ♪ fun for all the children call

their favorite time of year ♪ that puts me in the mood right now. >> when you did you know you could sing? >> my mom sings. >> my mom sings. i don't. >> there are people who with can actually sing -- >> no, i have a very raspy voice. i have a voice made for no mike. i spent time in texas. i was down there for a week. i did a barbecue. that's my family. that's us in front of the christmas tree. that's my eclectic family gathered around. i barbecued. i didn't fry chicken but i did barbecue. got this new troeger grill. my father passed away right after christmas ten years ago. my mom doesn't cook. i moo dad cooked every meal. i would joke and say i didn't have a woman cook a meal for me until i went to college. my dad was a very doting, loving

husband and he cooked everything. when he pals this past christmas my mother finally said i had met all expectations and i officially got the torch passed to me to be responsible for our christmas dinners. so i barbecued and -- i had a ham. it was a shoulder. pork shoulder. then al roker serndz nds us thi huge ham. i did an ina garten glaze. my mom sent me this picture. i was flying in last night. i have a niece. i won't tell which niece it is but she locked her iphone and she couldn't recover her password to her iphone. it was a big deal. these are the two nieces. it was a big deal in our house and she was crying. i gave her this big old electric

sure abo lecture. my mom found this note. it said god please help me find out my password so that i can talk with my friends. please help. please, you are the only one that can unlock my password. a-man. she didn't show us the note. my mom found it. i'm on the american airlines flight sobbing. and we got the password. >> listen. do not play with the man upstairs. god is good. and a child shall lead him. >> it just melted my heart. i am obsessed with this kid. >> moral of the story, if you look your iphone, just write god a note. hook it up. >> i was on the flight coming back last night 37 that's when we got the sad news of george michael passing away. for me, this is like my teenage years. this is my coming of age. this is the music of our lives. he passed away at home at the

age of 53. his manager tells "hollywood reporter" he died from heart failure. his publicist said he passed away peacefully. biggest thing, of course, his break o break. out from wham! wake me up before the go-go. we throw this around a lot, but for me, he is a music icon. >> i never forget the first time i heard that voice. i was in elementary school. debbie thomas, one of the first african-american female figure skaters and she was dancing to this song "one more try." i remember sitting indian style. i don't remember why we were watching it but that voice, i was like what is his sound? i made my mom take me to the store. we bought this album. this is my first foray into learning about there man's catalog. >> my favorite -- i put on

instagram, the lyrics -- "father figure." it is one of the most beautiful songs i feel thattive's ever heard. just visually. the kids won't remember this but we will. mtv. this is when mtv mattered. you had the supers in this video. naomi, cindy. it was incredible. >> he was certainly provocative ahead of his time. >> beautiful tributes just across the country. elton jo >> johjohn had beautiful words for him. coming up, here's something that's going to cheer us all up. it is a little boy. he gets a big surprise, a heart-warming welcome for christmas. this is going to lift your spirits a day after christmas. you already know how this is going to play out. the back story after this. we rely on our courage.

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♪ "you are the best thing" ♪ by ray lamontagne ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ we are back with more of "today's take." tituss is grilling me on my personal life that i don't discuss. he's our special co-host -- the "unbreakable" tituss burgess.

the love you are getting on my social media page. my ferret avorite is can you te tituss how much we love them? you tell him. go on our twitter. kate mckinnon has been named usa "today's" entertainer of the year. starred in ""ghostbusters," the reboot. the "snl" impersonations of hillary clinton. justin bieber. >> she sort of disappears into the people that she plays. there's no trace of kate as far as i'm concerned. >> that justin bieber was epic. >> it is the year of kate mick kin none on t mckinnon on top. we need to see you host "snl." >> oh, my goodness, tamron. >> "snl." seriously. you sing.

you act. comedy. you are the total package. you know tina fey! >> i do know tina fey very well. well, one day. one day maybe. >> i tina fey. will you call me and we'll discuss this. i ran into her at some bakery place. she said hi and i almost fainteded that she even knew my name -- >> i still faint. out of nerves though because she scares me to death. >> what was your first lime meeting her like? >> the first time i met tina was on set for "30 rock." i had a recur for two seasons. i had a character, defwon. i had never done anything on network television outside of -- yep, that was the first thing. i had one line that eventually

turned into four episodes. i heard her laughing in one of my takes and it calmed me down and heard her simultaneously. a young boy got a sweet surprise between the falcons/panthers game in sh charlotte. salmon was brought on the field and his dad, navy petty officer 1st class david fletcher jumped out of santa's sleigh to surprise him. willie geist always says if there was a network just with these clips of families being reunited after being deployed, that you wouldn't change the channel. this is just incredible. >> so beautiful. i'm being told in my ear -- al roker's not here so i get to throw to the weather. >> let's do it. >> i am officially able to say

his catch phrase. and now it is time for a check of the weather -- what do i say? in your hood? i forgot the line. dang! here's a check -- here's a look -- it's time for a check good morning, i'm first alert meteorologist krystal klei. here's a look at the forecast for today. most of us will stay dry. isolated chances of rain throughout the region. primarily focused near the hee lie valley today near the shore. cloudy conditions for all of us, centre city up to 50 degrees, mid, upper 40s for part of the suburbs and mid-40s for the lehigh valley. in new jersey 46, for trenton low 50s along the shore. we may see a spot shower near rehoboth beach at a temperature of 51 this afternoon. >> i've xwnbeen accused plagiarizing that line. up next, the doctor is in with easy ways to ring in a a

healthy new year, 2017. i want to give up sugar for the fourth year in a row that i have pledged this. . . natalie imy moderate to severeng crohn's disease. i didn't think there was anything else to talk about. but then i realized there was. so, i finally broke the silence with my doctor about what i was experiencing. he said humira is for people like me who have tried other medications but still experience the symptoms of moderate to severe crohn's disease. in clinical studies, the majority of patients on humira saw significant symptom relief. and many achieved remission. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections,

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it lets you earn double cash back: 1% when you buy, and 1% as you pay. the citi double cash card. double means double. lean and mean in 2017. i like that. the new year means many of us will soon try to hit the reset button on our diet and fitness regimen. dr. natalie aczar is here with some simple things that she says we can do to become healthier in the new year. dr. aczar, good morning. i said i've been trying to give up sugar for the last four years. but i can focus in on other things. >> right. this i love. this is something that people call voice architecture. it means when you open your refrigerator, what you want to have at eye level are all your fruits and vegetables and yogurt and healthy snacks so when you reach in you're more likely to

get the healthy food than the unhealthy food like pudding and lots of butter and creme fraiche. one of my friends has a little straight refrigerator for her kids. >> what's the thing in your refrigerator right now? >> probably that cheesecake that i ordered last night. >> is it at eye level? >> you know it is. >> move the cheesecake to the back of the refrigerator. dark chocolate. i've heard this numerous, numerous times. flavonol for your circulatory health. blood vessels. you can eat chocolate but do it in moderation. if you choose, go for dark instead of milk and white. >> we're doing two things here. being sedentary can increase your risk of you know what early. we want people to move around. two things you can do at your desk. take a book, tituss, watch.

do a tricep. hold it like this. >> how many? >> do at least three -- do ten reps and three sets. then get up, tituss, we're going to do something called the desk squat. go down, your butt is going to touch the seat and you're going to come back up. >> don't sit on the chair. your butt doesn't touch. >> excellent. back up again. even you have your legs further out. people who have knee pain. you don't want your knees to go in front of your toes. you can try to do 50 of those. and the last thing, a massage. this is supers. i think it is underappreciated how much a massage can help. with stress and muscle strain. i also incorporate it with a lot of my patients in addition to medication and stuff like that. it doesn't need to be an hour. it can be 10, 15 minutes. >> oh, tamron. >> i wasn't expecting that response. >> i know you can do it. still to

i had that dream again -- that i was on the icelandic game show. and everyone knows me for discounts, like safe driver and paperless billing. but nobody knows the box behind the discounts. oh, it's like my father always told me -- "put that down. that's expensive." of course i save people an average of nearly $600, but who's gonna save me? [ voice breaking ] and that's when i realized... i'm allergic to wasabi. well, i feel better. it's been five minutes. talk about progress. [ chuckles ] okay. talk about progress. [ chuckles ] try theraflu expressmax,nd flu hold you back now in new caplet form. it's the only cold and flu caplet that has a maximum strength formula with a unique warming sensation you can instantly feel theraflu. for a powerful comeback. ♪ new expressmax caplets.

good morning, i'm pamela osborne. time is 9:. right to your first alert forecast with meteorologist krystal klei. >> philadelphia temperature 37 degrees, sitting above freezing in most locations, although parts of burks county and the lehigh valley are right around the freezing mark. winds not terribly strong at 6 miles per hour currently. look at radar and satellite, the very light showers making their way in our direction but they are super light. very little of this is making it to the ground. we look closer, mostly about the clouds for us today. we have some isolated chances of rain that start to develop better as we move overnight. let's get a check on the roads with nbc 10 first alert

traffic reporter francesca ruscio. >> pamela, we're watching the blue route camera at baltimore pike. not that bad. travel speeds up to in the 50s and 60s. southbound for 95 or northbound for the boulevard no problems or delays off the majors, they look pretty good right now. today is a busy travel day across the region. live look outside philadelphia international airport. if you're flying, give yourself plenty of extra time to park, check in and go through security. new year's eve is saturday night. here's a live look at the blue cross river rink, it will be the place to be as we usher in 2017 with two fireworks displays. nbc 10 will broadcast the fireworks live saturday evening at 6:00 and don't miss round two at the stroke of midnight from sugar house casino and penn's landing. i'll have another update for you in 25 minutes. look for the latest weather and news with the nbc 10 app. now back to the "today" show, have a great day.

all right. we've got a little more magic for you. back with our special guest co-host for the day, tituss burgess from the hit netflix series, "unbreakable." oz pearlman is with us. i went out on the streets of new york. people were blown away. every time he comes in, we believe he's made some deal with mystical powers. >> i sold my soul. >> happy hanukah, happy everything. a few days away, january 1st. resolutions, my friend. eat better, be nicer. exercise more. no excuses here.

courtesy of my good friend mindy, an amazing cross fit expe expert. 25 different things you've heard of, push-ups, burpees. tituss, you're going to be one of these for all of america that's purely of your choosing, the number of times of your choosing. look at me. one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. there's 25 different ones that you could be doing at this very moment. cover his eyes for me, please. tamron. cover them up. is there any way that when you were looking at this list that i could have seen it in your eyes. did i tell you what to do or influns you i influence you in any way? >> no. >> the number he was thinking of, i saw when i said one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine.

tituss, when you were picking this exercise, you didn't even do the first thing, you changed your mind at least once or twice. is that right? >> that is correct. >> let's get a full body shot here. open your eyes. whatever you are thinking of doing. whatever number of times, do it now. let's see it. >> one that one stationary lunge. >> that's exactly what he just did. >> oh, my god, you serious. >> he did. you'll watch later. >> yeah. he did it. how did you know? >> we're getting ahead of ourselves. too much working out. it's not new year's yet. new year's eve. party time. party time. let's get some hats. put this on. put this on. we got reverse, reverse, reverse. december 31st, the party begins. the party begins. tamron, what is the tradition? right when the ball drops.

you grab the person next to you, three, two, one, you grab them, what do you do? >> kiss them. >> you give them a kiss. here i have a list of people's sexiest 50 men. start off the new year right. zac efron, liam, denzel, ben affleck, benedict cumberpatch. there are 50 different men's names. all from "people." take these in your hands. give him a cut. any way you want. i like how tamron turns away. i can read minds. tamron, take about half the cards in one hand and half in the other. and you know what they say? out with the old, in with the new. throw one half over of your shoulder. get rid of them. bam, gone. cut the cards. and put them together again so we don't know which is which. good enough. tamron again, take half or so

into one hand, half in the other. throw them in the air. >> this is like my dating rolodex. >> we've eliminated down to the wire. i just can't have you look through around pick someone you like. famous edward murrow award winning journalist. why did you want to kiss brad pitt and not me? point to anyone, be very particular. point to whichever one. don't take it out. which one is it? >> which card? >> yeah. before you take it, i am giving you the choice to change your mind. do you want this one or change to a different one is it. >> i do want to change because i touched it before. >> please. is that the one or do you want to go three times? take it and hold on to it. i want them to see who it could have been. it could have been chris pratt. it could

hemsworth. you just got a burn going, a little bit of a workout. what would hit the spot, a decadent dessert. the clock strikes 12:00. we pop the campaign. what would be perfect right after that work jo you the? >> food or man? >> food. not man. she's got the man, you've got food. step by step. what's the food? >> same thing. cheesecake. >> midnight just hit. who is it? show us, who did you pick out of 52 cards. >> adam levine. "the voice" himself. dreams come tree here on the "today" show. take off your hats. reach inside. because i got you each exactly what you want. titus, we got some cheesecake for tituss. >> he gave this to me for you specifically. >> how in the hell? how did you do that? >> i'm not telling his wife. it's okay. >> that is amazing.

that is perplexing and amazing. >> i see you guys having a great 2017. i predict it right here. >> i love adam, but -- >> you're a fascinating human being. thank you. up next, a guide to holiday returns and how to find the deals on those gifts santa did not leave under the tree. you know i am obsessed with sales. most of the stuff i buy i buy on sale. i do not believe in full prize. don't let sinus symptoms bring you down now!

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xarelto. heyyyyy! ♪ it's the little things that make life rich. ritz. as the gift season thomas com comes to an end, after the show you'll probably go buy new stuff, return the old stuff. >> editorial director of "latina" magazine, robin moreno is here. you look so cute!

>> thank you. >> is that skirt available somewhere? >> it might be on sale. >> you're going to talk to us first about returns. some of the things people need to know who may be headed out today or tomorrow. >> whether it was the wrong style or the wrong size, don't worry about it. one-quarter of all returns happen this time of year throughout the year. we do have some retailers with amazing deals so you don't have to interrupt your holiday fun to head out to the post office and the stores. some people have returns any time. places like l.l. bean, land's end, they have lifetime guarantees on their product, any time, beyond the year, you can take it back. these companies all stand behind their products. >> some stores have a return up to a year. >> that's great. you get up to one year which is nice. what's good is while some places give you free shipping, which is

what zappos does. you have one year for free shipping and returns. >> extended holiday return. what's that mean? >> that means people get this idea -- most retails give you about 30 days but they have this idea that if you buy anything from november 1st to the end of the year, more or less a giftable item. if you bought something at kohl's, amazon, tj maxx and toys "r" us, it goes beyond the 30 days. you can actually enjoy your holiday. >> what about stores with receipts? >> the general rule is if you want your money back you should have your receipt. you should have your product in good shape with tags on and your i.d. otherwise you are just going to get a store credit at the purchase price. >> let's launch into sales

stuff. >> toys are a great gift. if you were lucky enough to get a video game console, toys "r" us is having 30% off. all their video games, cds and music. really popular stuff like the "moana" and pokemons. >> if you forgot someone on your list, now you can get their gift on sale. >> people love their american girls. this week starting today until december 31st, 25% to 50% off like their spa accessories, their fashion kits. collaboration they did with williams and sonoma. again these are nice things. if you got that doll for christmas, you can get the accessories on sale. >> a car seat is something that's always great. this is a european brand, top rated. $100 off starting today until the end of january on the 70

convertible. it starts with a baby at 9 pounds. lot of times baby at birth are 9 pounds. >> dylan dreyer! >> it goes up to 70 pounds. that's what you'll have for years. >> i have to get dylan and brian this. treadmills. didn't realize they went on sale so fast. >> two-thirds of all americans make losing weight their number one resolution. head over to sears. they're having half off all of their equipment. something like this treadmill. it is usually $1,500. today you it get it for $800. >> if you give someone a treadmill, is that a hint? i'm just sayin'. now it is time for

good morning, i'm first alert meteorologist krystal klei. here's a look at the forecast for today. most of us will stay dry. isolated chances of rain throughout the region. primarily focused near the hee lie valley today near the shore. cloudy conditions for all of us, centre city up to 50 degrees, mid, upper 40s for part of the suburbs and mid-40s for the lehigh valley. in new jersey 46, for trenton low 50s along the shore. we may see a spot shower near rehoboth beach at a temperature of 51 this afternoon. >> and that's your latest weather. so as tituss works it off, coming up, we're going te're got back on. three words -- cookie butter chocolate. siri daly is here with some party treats. it's the new year. weight watchers, i've lost over 40 pounds. i can honestly tell you, i struggle no more. i've eaten everything i love. tacos, pasta... i've never felt deprived. i would say to anybody who's thinking about joining weight watchers... take the leap, and get about the business of enjoying

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and cheese. we're going to make a potato chip version of that. we just take some tinfoil, spread it out on a baking sheet. spread them evenly out. use half of this parmesan or pecorino. >> titus knows his way around the kitchen. >> we're going to do the rest later. we have a 400 degree oven. pop those in. just for about five minutes. these are getting nice and golden. now we're going to throw the other half. >> siri is here to please. just some fresh cracked pepper. what ans way to elevate your chip game. ie any one can throw that

together. these are cookie butter truffles. >> i don't know cookie butter. >> it's a thing. you can get it at your market. it is like those biscoff cookies. ard the vanilla. some salt. let that go until it gets nice and smooth. >> your kids love this at home? >> oh, yes. i'll eat that whole jar if no one's watching. it looks like when. chill for a few minutes. >> i'm not even listening to you. >> now we'll take a little melon baller. >> do you refrigerate it? >> yes. can just for a couple of

minutes. after you roll the balls, put it back into the refrigerator for 10, 15 minutes. if it gets too sticky, coat your hands with powder sugar. are you listening? next we have chocolate. we'll just drop them in there. i like to use two forks so that you can let some of the excess drip off like that. it's all about balance. >> you can do milk chocolate or dark. this is sanding sugar to make it blissen. >> we should try one. >> over here we have some -- aren't they delicious? >> siri, this is delicious. >> some smashed pea and ricotta crustini and -- >> so you went healthy on us.

>> exactly. yeah. >> you can head to today.com/food for the recipes. tituss is going to load up. while he gets his lunch and dinner on, we're back in a

oh, my gosh -- a huge thank you to tituss burgess for spending the day after christmas with us. and siri. and guess what? back tomorrow for more. meanwhile, kathie lee and hoda are up next with dresses for new year's eve! >> siri, you rock. >> this is delicious. >> after you

good morning i'm pamela os brn. time is 9:56 on your monday. right to your forecast with meteorologist krystal klei. good morning. >> we're tracking temperatures as they start to climb above freezing, 39 in philadelphia, so we're seeing that number bump up and we are going to get later today, upper 40s, around 50 degrees for high temperatures. in the suburbs 35 degrees, cloudy across the board, you can see from our live cameras. 36 in new jersey and 32 in the lehigh valley. just at freezing there.

40 degrees for delaware. we look at your radar and satellite, what we're tracking are very light showers in the central part of pennsylvania heading our direction isolated showers throughout the lehigh valley today, better chances of rain tonight and tomorrow. now a check of our traffic. >> watching route 202 and allendale. king of prussia mall, gift cards and checking on road conditions, travel speeds in the 50s and 60s and we're doing okay on the rest of the majors. we have a cancellation on the west trenton line. back to you. happening today expect a mad dash to the malls by shoppers who want to return or exchange their holiday gifts or buy items on sale. many retailers are resuming expanded hours so you can take back unwanted items.

another update for you in about 25 minutes, but in the meantime, get the latest weather with the nbc 10 app.

>> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. oh. fun day monday, erybody. december 26th. the first day of kwanzaa. we hope you all had a very merry and blessed christmas. that's by marin moore. >> that rhymes. >> didn't she get grammy nominations? >> in the mix, baby. >> if this doesn't get your attention on the day after christmas nothing will. >> what? >> hot guys with chiselled pets and their adorable puppies. >> oh, my gosh. >> throw a baby in, and