we'll have local updates throughout the morning. you can always get realtime i'm katy zachry. news, weather, and traffic on just a few minutes before 9:00 the nbc10 app. on your we there. bill to be a cold >> good morning. breaking overnight. no moore. afternoon. alabama delivers a stunning once a minimal wae temperatures in in a generation upset. many neighborhoods still stuck roy moore loses, the democrat, in the single digits. feels like 9 degrees in doug jones, declared the apparent winner in the hotly philadelphia, 10 in wilmington and 11 for allentown and contested senate race. >> i just don't know what the redding. temperature wils will climb, bu hell to say. [ cheers and applause ] >> but moore refuses to concede. >> let's go home and sleep on will feel like it's in the teens it. >> this morning, the major implications for both parties, and the president. this afternoon. high temperatures near freezing over the line? this afternoon, but the w feel president trump under fire for a tweet stating that new york long and even into this evening. senator, kirsten gillibrand, let's get a check with jess. will do anything for a political contribution after she calls for his resignation. >> it was a sexist smear attempted to undermine my voice. around our cameras at 17th

>> straight ahead, the senator is with us for an exclusive live street, around broad street, we have construction and the ramp interview. bitter blast. off to the side and some of that bone-chilling cold and snow stretches tohe taking aim at 25 million people side. from the midwest to the disabled vehicle around northeast. al is on it. that, plus holiday overload. the delays that have millions montgomery drive. happening says still waiting for their cybermonday packages to arrive. that one of the best meteor a 6-year-old using youtube showers of the year will peak to make millions. thispeak viewing time is between and royal show of force. princes william and harry attend 7:30 tonight and dawn tomorrow. for the best viewing, get as far the "star wars" premier and take the red carpet by storm -- away from city lights as trooper. possible. today, wednesday, december 13th, more now on the dangerous 2017. cold, a code blue is in effect >> announcer: from nbc news, for much of our viewing a including montgomery,,;unti this is "today." live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. and good morning, everybody. homeless to come in and find shelter. welcome to "today." nice to have you with us on a wednesday morning. >> yeah, this was a surprising keep the 1ap result in alabama. a defeat for republicans and president trump. >> a political earthquake. roy moore edged out by the

democrat, doug jones, once considered to be a long shot in the race. the margin was razor thin, leading moore to end his night refusing to concede. will there be a runoff? we have team coverage this morning, beginning with nbc's gabe gutierrez in montgomery. gabe, good morning to you. >> reporter: savannah, good morning. for the first time in a quarter century, alabama is sending a democrat to washington. and the republican majority in the senate will now be razor-thin. 51-49. president trump is trying to save face, tweeting just a short time ago that the reason he originally endorsed roy moore's primary opponent, luther strange, is that he knew roy moore couldn't win the general election. roy worked hard, the president says, but the deck was stacked against him. this morning, a seismic political shift. a democrat is the apparent winner and the next senator from ruby red, alabama. >> we have shown not just around the state of alabama, but we have shown the country the way.

that we can be unified. >> reporter: overnight, doug jones pulling off a stunning upset. >> congratulations. >> everybody feels great today. >> after a frantic scramble to get african-american voters and moderates to the polls. >> i think that i have been waiting all my life, and now i just don't know what the hell to say. >> reporter: in a brief, somber speech to his reporters, his republican opponent, roy moore, refused to concede and even raised the possibility of a recount. >> when the vote is this close, it is not over. >> reporter: the horse race was surreal. for weeks, the headlines dominated by sexual misconduct allegations against moore. the former judge repeatedly denied claims that he molested teen girls decades ago. one as young as 14. >> this is simply dirty politics. >> reporter: president trump tweeting a rare congratulations to a democrat for a hard-fought victory, adding the republicans will have another shot at this seat in a very short period of time.

it never ends. the president also backed the losing candidate in the republican primary here, and now this stinging defeat for moore, who mr. trump only had officially endorsed last week. >> get out and vote for roy moore. >> reporter: moore's loss also a rebuke for former white house chief strategist, steve bannon, who after campaigning for moore twice this month -- >> mr. bannon, is this a huge defeat for you? >> reporter: left quietly overnight. moore supporters furious over establishment republicans who they feel abandoned him. >> i feel this is the beginning of a revolt by conservatives within our own party. >> if a republican is getting 56% of the vote in shelby county, that is a catastrophe for republican in alabama. >> reporter: as the drama unfolded on live television -- >> i think we got it. >> reporter: for johnson, it was personal. >> i told you! >> woo! that's it, that's it. it's legal. >> reporter: she's one of the women who accused moore of unwanted sexual advances,

alleging he groped her at his law office in 1991 when she was 28. >> i am just thrilled that speaking out did make a difference. and that we won't be silenced any more. >> reporter: as for that possible recount, that roy moore suggested, it is highly unlikely. under alabama law, recount is only automatically called for when the margin of victory is less than one half of one percentage point. but at this point, doug jones topped roy moore by three times that margin. savannah and hoda? >> gabe, thank you so much. and chuck todd is with us now, moderator of "pete tmeet the pr" how did he do it? >> on the backs of a bunch of things. number one, republican disunity. that helped. he had massive democratic enthusiasm. in many ways, we saw the same thing in alabama we saw in virginia, where the blue areas just turned out in higher numbers than the red areas. and even -- and that's why early on in the night, it looked like

everybody -- oh, boy, this is going to break the way alabama breaks, moore is going to win. and instead you realized, no, the suburban vote, essentially these moderate republicans did show up and they voted against roy moore. whether they voted for jones or not, i don't know. but they voted against moore. >> how important were women in this race, do you think? >> i think women weren't -- there certainly was important -- it was a big gender gap. but it was african-american women that provided a big margin. roy moore still won white women in alabama by a very big margin. so, look, i think it had -- the issue itself had an impact with the suburban voter, okay? i was down there. the people in mobile, in birmingham and huntsville, the three big cities in alabama. >> now republicans have to be asking themselves, is this a one-off, is this a candidate who was flawed, or is this a sign of what could happen in the 2018 mid terms? >> first of all, donald trump is political toxin, period. look at the year throughout. you have to go through -- this is not a oneoff. let's start -- this started in

kansas, in montana, in georgia. there were all these special elections and democrats didn't win them. but they were overperforming by 10 and 15 points. democratic enthusiasm, trump problems. and then all of a sudden virginia, the big explosion in a win and now you see in alabama. if trump can't get a 50% job approval in alabama, if he can't carry over his candidate in alabama, every republican in the country this morning needs to wake up and fear for their political lives. >> chuck todd, thank you. know it's late night for you, we appreciate it. president trump's controversial tweet aimed at democratic senator, kirsten gillibrand sparked a firestorm. the president suggesting she would, quote, do anything for campaign contributions. the senator labelling the attack a sexist smear. we will have an exclusive live interview with her in a moment. first, here's nbc's peter alexander from the white house. hey, peter. >> reporter: hoda, good morning. the president routinely lashes out on twitter, but critics say that sexually suggestive tweet

targeting kirsten gillibrand crossed a line. overnight the "usa today" highlighted the attack, arguing president trump has shown he's not fit for office, reading, quote, rock bottom is no impediment for a president who can always find room for a new low. this morning against the backdrop of the metoo movement, backlash against president trump for his attack on senator kirsten gillibrand. >> it was a sexist smear attempting to silence my voice. and i will not be silenced on this issue. neither will the women who stood up to the president. >> reporter: the president earlier tearing into gillibrand on twitter after she called for him to resign amid new renewed accusations of sexual misconduct. mr. trump mocking the new york democrat as someone who would come to my office begging for campaign contributions not so long ago, and would do anything for them. democrats rushing to defend gillibrand. elizabeth warren accusing president trump of slut-shaming.

while the president ignored a chance to clarify. >> mr. president, what did you mean when you said kirsten gillibrand would do anything for a campaign contribution. >> his press secretary disputing claims. >> only if your mind was in the gutter would you have read it that way. and so no. obviously, talking about political partisan games that people often play and the broken system that he's talked about repeatedly. >> reporter: for her part, gillibrand has become an outspoken advocate against sexual harassment. the first democratic senator to call for al franken to step down. earlier, the president brushed off a renewed round of claims against him, dismissing what he called false accusations and fabricated stories. allegations he also dismissed as a candidate. one former accuser, is again alleging the president groped her at a concert in 2003. >> i demand that he is subjected to an investigation by the ethics committee. i think it's important that we hold this man to the highest of standards.

>> reporter: adding her voice to a growing chorus. more than 100 house democrats are formally calling for a congressional inquiry. several senators also on board. the white house calls the accusations politically motivated, arguing no investigation is needed. >> these questions have been asked and answered, and we're ready to move forward and focus on the questions of the day that the american people have. >> reporter: president trump also called his accusers women who i don't know and/or have never met. but the list includes a contestant in one of his beauty pageants, a reporter who interviewed him, and also a contestant from "the apprentice." the white house says the president was only referring to three women who spoke out earlier this week. hoda, savannah? >> peter, thank you. and senator gillibrand is with us now. senator, good morning to you. >> good morning. how are you? >> i'm well, thank you. let's talk about this tweet from the president yesterday. among other things, he said that you had not long ago come to his office, quote, begging for campaign contributions and added, you would do anything for them. let me be blunt about it.

did you interpret that tweet as a sexual reference, that you would trade sexual favors for campaign cash? is that what the president was saying about you? >> well, certainly that's how i -- and many people read it. and it was certainly just a sexist smear. intended to silence me. and i'm not going to be silenced on this issue. i have heard the testimony of many women, numerous accusers. i believe them. and he should resign for that. i think congress should do an investigation, because we need accountability. and women aren't going to be silenced right now. and as we just saw in alabama, women are not going to be silenced, african-american women are not going to be silenced. and they came out in numbers. >> i do want to go back to this tweet for a moment, though. because the white house press secretary said anyone who interprets this in a sexual manner should, quote, get their minds out of the gutter. is your mind in the gutter if you took it that way? >> no. >> they also point out that the

president has tweeted this kind of thing or said this kind of thing about men in the past. for example, i recall in 2016, he said that mitt romney had come to his office in 2012, begging for an endorsement and would have gotten on his knees. was that a sexist attack or a sexually loaded attack? >> i don't know. i can just tell you, the president's trying to certainly silence my voice on this issue of these allegations against him. and he's often berated women and made them feel that they cannot be heard, as well. and what i'm seeing today and what this election of doug jones is about is a statement by particularly women, african-american women, and the african-american community, coming out and saying we are going to vote our values. and you have to put this in context. 50 years ago, four little girls were killed by the kkk. and doug jones was the prosecutor who brought them justice. and so people overwhelmingly

were heard. so i think this was an election about what we feel and our values and what we care about. and i think president trump is wrong. he is a bully, and he has been attacking different people across this country since he's been president. and since the women's march, women have stood up, have fought hard, have spoken out about their beliefs, and they have not stopped. and so i think that is a testament to this election, and because of it, i have hope for this country. >> some of the accusers of president trump have come forward again, recently, this week, publicly. because obviously, they came out before the election and he was still elected. and the white house points to that a lot. do you think times have changed in a year, such that these accusations will be listened to in a different way now? >> yes, i do. i think this is a moment in time, unlike any other, with the metoo movement. women are feeling the ability to tell what happened to them. some of the worst moments they have lived and tell it publicly.

and that is powerful. and it is affecting everything. and people are looking for justice. you are seeing quick justice, whether it's in hollywood or in corporate america or in congress. and so what we can do is make sure that we continue to speak out. and that's what women are doing, and they're speaking out in the millions across this country. >> let me go back to the tweet for a moment, and let me be devil's advocate. bear with me here. the president tweeted this. after you called for his resignation, and essentially said, you believed those who were calling him as someone who sexually assaulted them and mon molested them and harassed them. you played hard ball. doesn't he have the right to do the same? >> the president says whatever he wants, whenever he wants. i don't think that level of discourse, however, is what this country wants. i think what he has done is unacceptable. and if you put that in the context of multiple accusers who have accused him of sexual

assault and sexual harassment, that are credible, you need accountability. and i think what people do want is accountability and he should resign. and if he's unwilling to, congress should investigate. that's our job. oversight and accountability. and i think the american people want this. i think they want a country that they are proud of, and i think that's what this election was about. the fact that people wanted to vote for their values and what they care about. >> well, it's obviously something people will be talking about today, that election in alabama. senator kirsten gillibrand, good to have your perspective. we appreciate your time. >> thank you. >> thank you. also on this busy wednesday morning, for the first time, we are now seeing some of the anti trump text messages that led to an fbi agent's removal from the russia investigation. nbc justice correspondent, pete williams, has that story. hey, pete. good morning. >> hoda, the e-mails were handed over to congress tuesday night, just as the deputy attorney general, rod rosenstein prepares

for today. some e-mails demonstrate why he should appoint another special counsel to investigate robert mueller's team. the e-mails were exchanged between peter struck and lisa page. the two were romantically involved. sent between august 2015 and december 2016, most were exchanged before either party secured its nominee. but many were critical of donald trump. one reads, god, trump is a loathsome human. on july 14th, struck wrote about trump, it's clear he's capturing the white, poor voters who the mainstream republicans abandoned. in other messages, the couple shared pro clinton views, struck telling paige, god, hillary should win 100 million-0. after clinton was nominated he wrote, congrats on a woman nominated for president in a major party. about damn time. after the election when mr. trump announced his choice of

jeff sessions for attorney general, struck said sessions for ag, to which paige responded, good god. when mueller learned of the e-mails last summer, he removed struck from the team. the justice department's inspector general is now looking into the fbi agent's role in the hillary clinton e-mail case. so he already is under investigation. as for appointing another special counsel, that would have to be to investigate a crime. hoda, savannah? >> pete williams, thank you so much for that. 25 million people are under winter weather alerts with snow expected from the great lakes to the northeast. al is here, and it is cold outside! >> yes, it is. jet stream taking a big, big deep. let's take a look. this is a live shot along i-90. our good pals at the weather channel providing this. my pal, mike seidel, is out there right now. there was an accident. finally traffic starting to move. but also the big story, the gold air. 5 to 15 degrees above average out to the west. but look how far deep this goes. all the way down into florida.

and look at the temperatures and wind chills right now. it feels like 3 below in buffalo. 9 in d.c. 8 here in new york city. boston, your wind chill, 7 degrees. and for this afternoon, buffalo, you'll only feel like 3. 26 in d.c. 19 in new york city. cleveland, you'll feel like 12 degrees. the good news is, it's a short-lived cold snap. we'll see temperatures rebound by sunday, 38 in buffalo. new york city, 40. richmond, 49 degrees. and charlotte will get up to 55 by sunday. we're going to get to y

good morning, i'm meteorologist bill henley. brutally cold outside, the bitter wind will stay with us this afternoon. the temperature will warm to 31 in philadelphia. 29 in the suburbs. with the wind factored in, it will feel like the teens. 31 degrees in new jersey. the warm spot, 34 at the jersey shore. it hits 29 degrees with sunshine in the lehigh valley. lots of sunshine in delaware, but plenty of wind, too. just 31. have a great day. coming up in the next in th hour, we're talking about the snow, like you saw there. >> i can't believe how it's coming down. wow. >> all right, al, thanks. coming up, will your packages arrive in time? the ominous new warning that could spell trouble for holiday shoppers. what you need to know right now. and the youtube star raking in millions all before his 7th birthday. so how kids are cashing in on the popular trend in a big way. but first, this is "today" on

nbc. michael: i'm thankful that

i'm alive and have a second chance. james: i'm thankful for the help and the opportunity that i received. darlene: i'm thankful to be able to help people in crisis. vanessa: i'm thankful that addiction is treatable, and that help is available. christie: new jersey is experiencing a heroin epidemic fueled by opioid painkillers. but if you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, i want you to know: we are here for you. this holiday season, choose help. call 844 reach nj or visit reachnj.gov.

. coming up, jeff rossen. plus, a special contest to give away the year's hottest sold-out toys. big surprises coming up. he's pulling them off live. and hey, are you taking the tissue test? yep, and my teeth are yellow. i mean i knew they weren't perfect, but, ugh. oh well, all hope is lost! oh thanks! clearly my whitening toothpaste is not cutting it. time for whitestrips. crest glamorous white whitestrips are the only ada-accepted whitening strips proven to be safe and effective. they work below the enamel surface to whiten 25x better than a leading whitening toothpaste. hey, nice smile! thanks! i crushed the tissue test! yeah you did! crest. healthy, beautiful smiles for life. gewith a sparkling new sweater this weekend at kohl's! for the girl's - a holiday dress or a ceramic cookware set! plus take an extra 20% off when you spend $100 or more!

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let's treat them that way. milk-bone. doing more for dogs since 1908. good morning. i'm via sikahema. it is a frigid wednesday. we'll get to meteorologist bill henley with the most accurate neighborhood weather forecast. bill? >> yeah, the temperatures have plummeted. the winds, you see it shaking the camera in this live view of boathouse row. the winds are gusting to more than 30 mile-per-hour. 33 mile-an-hour winds in millville. 29 mile-an-hour wind gust, almost 30 in philadelphia. look what that's doing to temperatures. temperatures feel in the single digits. 7 for philadelphia, pottstown, allentown, 6 in wilmington and millville. feels like just 8 degrees in reading. we're still under a first alert. the entire area today, this morning temperatures feeling

like below 10. this afternoon, it will feel like between 10 and 20 degrees. >> thank you. right in the middle of rush hour, morning rush. let's get right to first alert meteorologist traffic reporter jessica boyington. there you go. what are you seeing? >> yeah. watching the vine street expressway through center city. cameras around 24th street. westbound over here moving toward the schuylkill. problems typical for the delays there. watch for a crash on horsham at horsham and dresher road. back to you. >> thank you. breaking news in montgomery county this morning. crews battled a house fire in swanksville and believe they got everyone out okay. the fire broke out before 6:00 a.m. this is a live look at the scene on summit avenue. we have a crew on the ground. medics took at least two people to the hospital. we're working to learn their conditions. we'll have another update in 25 minutes. join us every weekday morning from 4:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m.

good morning, everybody. welcome back. 7:30 on a wednesday morning. a snowy wednesday morning. check out warners, new york, near syracuse. they're getting some serious snow this morning. >> they are. it's cold all around, isn't it? we're in the 30s. >> didn't you feel it when you walked out this morning in new york city. we don't have snow, but we have cold and christmas trees. >> been waiting patiently. we have a lot happening today. let's get to a check of the headlines. starting with a political earthquake in alabama. >> stunning upset. >> we have shown the country the way. that we can be unified! >> democrat, doug jones, the apparent winner in the alabama senate race over controversial candidate, roy moore. >> the republican is getting 56% of the vote in shelby county.

that is a catastrophe for a republican in alabama. >> the republican refusing to concede. >> when the vote is this close, it is not over. war of words. president trump under fire for tweeting democratic senator, kirsten gillibrand would do anything for campaign contributions. the senator responding exclusively in a live interview with us this morning. >> it was certainly just a sexist smear. intended to silence me. and i'm not going to be silenced on this issue are u. ready to talk. secretary of state rex tillerson offers to sit down with north korea without preconditions. >> it's not realistic to say we're only going to talk if you come to the table ready to give up your program. inappropriate. michigan police under fire for handcuffing an 11-year-old girl at gunpoint. >> you're not going to jail or anything. >> no! >> police now launching an internal investigation. >> it made me feel scared, and

it made me feel like i did something wrong. and it's lit. hanukkah officially under way this morning, after jews worldwide light the me nora, launching the festival of lights. today, december 13th, 2017. and happy hanukkah. >> let's begin with families across the country, hoping to avoid a christmas shipping catastrophe if the gifts don't arrive on time. so with so many of us ordering online this year, the nation's shippers under the microscope to deliver. and that's after struggling with cybermonday. nbc's tom costello is tracking it all from a postal service in northern virginia. hey, tom. >> reporter: hey, guys. good morning. so listen, santa claus may be able to do it all around the world in one night, but if you want your package there on time, ground delivery with the postal service. you've got to get it in tomorrow. u.p.s., the world's biggest shipping company, is bringing on 100,000 people in december, just to handle the demand after

cybermonday. they're still struggling with that. and now the clock is ticking for christmas. with three quarters of a billion packages in these brown trucks before christmas, will they make it to your home for the holidays? >> it's important to me they get there on time, because i want to make sure that my family opens their presents on christmas. >> reporter: but with hanukkah already here, many gifts ordered on cybermonday aren't yet. some angry customers on twitter showing their u.p.s. packages boomeranging back to the same distribution center not yet delivered. why the delay? the shipping giant concedes, the cyber week surge exceeded its operating plans. now expecting 40 million more packages than last december. u.p.s. insists, we have returned to our original peak operating plan, and normal delivery time. and to meet demand, u.p.s. is staffing up. adding 95,000 seasonal workers. meanwhile, fedex says it's well-positioned to meet anticipated record demand.

that means 325,000 packages an hour, along the 42 miles of conveyor belts at its hub in memphis, where a plane full of packages touches down every 90 seconds. while the union for the pilots who deliver for dhl and amazon's prime air say they're stretched incredibly thin and delays are possible. the company, atlas air, says it's added ten more planes than last year and we are fully staffed to meet our customers' expectations. >> it's very important i get stuff to where i want it to go on time because i'm paying for a service, and i would like it to get there on time. >> reporter: but anticipating potential delays, some retailers are hoping customers simply skip shipping all together. >> many retailers are starting to introduce the idea that you can shop online, and then pick up in store right up into the evening on christmas eve. >> reporter: all right. amazon.com tells nbc news in a statement, we are confident in our ability to serve customers this holiday, and we regularly balance capacity across our

customer network with extensive network, i should say, and are also looking to carrier partners and ensuring we can meet our delivery promises during this busy holiday shipping time. a couple of take-aways. first of all, the postal service says and the u.p.s. says, if you haven't yet gotten your package, if it hasn't been delivered yet, don't show up at the nearest sorting facility, trying to get it from them. they're probably not going to have it. reiterating, of course, if you want it to go by ground with the postal service, you should probably have it there by tomorrow. and lastly, with the postal service delivering 15 billion packages, the word is, whatever you do, you might want to consider having it shipped to the retailer and picking up from the retailer as opposed to waiting for it to come all the way to you, if you're playing the game, if you're rolling the dice. guys, back to you. >> i don't like to gamble with christmas, though. >> wow. >> thank you. al does his shopping in

july. >> all done. >> that's right. well, if you're hoping to get something that's making its way through our area that's affected by snow, it may be slowed down a little bit. we're looking at the remnants of that lake-effect snow moving up. but then we have another clipper coming across the great lakes from minneapolis into green bay. chicago is going to feel some of these effects. right now, 25 million people under a winter storm warning. winter weather advisory for gusty winds, slow travel, reduced visibility. today this clipper comes through, going to bring some snow to chicago, indianapolis, detroit, pittsburgh. and then it makes a quick exit as we get into the day on thursday. the snowfall amounts, not quite as bad as we have seen in this last system. generally around 4 to 6 inches, western pennsylvania, new york, on toward cleveland. but then the bigger amounts are going to be up as you get into parts of western michigan and on into norern wisthco good morning, i'm

meteorologist krystal kl-- mete bill henley. the bitter wind will stay with us this afternoon. temperatures warming to 31 in philadelphia. 29 in the suburbs. with the wind factored in, it will feel like the teens. 31 degrees in new jersey. the warm spot, 34 at the jersey shore. it hits 29 degrees with sunshine in the lehigh valley. lots of sunshine in delaware, but plenty of wind, too. just 31. have a great day. get that weather any time you need it from o from our fri the weather channel on cable. guys? >> thanks, al roker. >> thank you, al. still to come this morning, it's rossen to thecue. wait until you meet the deserving families he's surprising with the year's hottest toys. and inside william and harry's night at the london premier of "star wars," and what the director is telling us about their rumored cameo. >> do they play storm troopers? and then we chat with hugh jackman about the greatest show and his new movie and why it almost wasn't made. next, the 6-year-old boy making millions just for playing with toys. coming up, right after this.

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welcome back, everybody. 7:42. toys are, of course, a big money-maker, especially this time of year. >> that's right. but did you know you could be reviewing them online and making big bucks? and thistle boy right there, why is he so happy? because he's living proof of that. nbc's joe fryer has his story. hi, joe. good morning. >> hey, good morning, guys. "forbes" is out with its latest list of highest-paid newt stars. and this year a 6-year-old is raking in millions, the magazine says. by playing with toys. known simply by his first name, ryan has turned a child's past

time into a very grownup business. >> whoa! feel it! it's like a real egg. >> on his youtube channel, the 6-year-old opens toys, plays with them, and offers his thoughts. >> wow! >> the video is recorded by his parents and posted online for millions across the world to watch. >> okay! >> woo! >> the channel started two years ago when ryan was a mere rookie. today he has more than 10 million subscribers, and now ranks eighth on the "forbes" list of highest paid youtube stars. by far the youngest to crack the top ten. "forbes," through number-crunching and expert interviews figures ryan's page brought in $11 million in revenue in a year, money that came from ads and sponsored content. >> it's a really interesting phenomenon that really anybody with a camera has this potential. of course, not everyone with a camera makes millions of dollars, but there's the

potential. >> yay! >> it's a popular youtube genre known as unboxing. literally watching kids unbox toys and entertain themselves for minutes on end. >> kids find this mesmerizing. >> welcome to ryan's toy review. >> and it's not just ryan. there are hundreds of these channels. and some others have also found success. in 2014, "today" profiled evan-tube hd. >> nice. >> we have already maxed out certain accounts. so i think the college -- the education is pretty much taken care of. >> as for ryan's family on their youtube page, they say most of the toys featured in these videos are donated to charity. >> we thought we would play a game inside -- >> it even started a second channel documenting the entire family's daily life. youtube notes that this type of content is found on so-called family channels. it's because youtube is a 13 and over site and it wants kids

younger than that to participate with their families, not on their own. i think we missed our calling, guys. >> i know! i don't think ryan gives a bad review. he loves all of the toys. super cute. jeff, thank you. >> yeah, i think vale and haley have some plans to make. we check in with dylan to see what's up in the orange room. >> we have a wild story behind >> we have a wild story behind an ♪ >> we have a wild story behind an ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ no family pays st. jude fbecause all a family, should worry aboutd.

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giveand get $10 kohl's cash wefor every $50 spent! give the latest active and wellness gifts that will keep them on the move all year long and you'll get kohl's cash! presents for them, kohl's cash for you! give joy, get joy at kohl's! ♪ think of your fellow man, ♪ lend him a helping hand,

♪ put a little love in your heart.♪ ♪ you'll see it's getting late, oh please don't hesitate...♪ ♪ put a little love in your heart.♪ ♪ in your heart... ♪ in your heart... ♪ in your heart... ♪ in your heart. (vo) going on now, our subaru share the love event will have donated over one hundred fifteen million dollars to those in need. how much would you pay for a short ride to the other side of town? you're going to be shocked when you hear this. >> hey, guys, he took an uber to visit a friend in a toronto hospital. but little did he know he was

embarking on one of the most expensive uber rides in history. the trip was only across town and took just 20 minutes so you can imagine the surprise -- >> oh, my gosh. >> when he saw he was charged $18,518.50. he contacted uber and received a lengthy response, with the most notable part saying, i can confirm that based on the pickup and drop-off locations of the trip you took, this fare is correct. >> what? >> so after the charge his hit credit card, of course, he tweeted about the ordeal, and social media users came to his defense. danielle tweets, unless the ride was in a helicopter piloted by luke skywalker, this dude better get a refund. >> thankfully he was able to get uber's attention. the afternoon after his fateful trip, he tweets, thank you to everyone who tweeted and retweeted about my magical $18,500 uber ride. uber support has refunded the fare and apologized. in a statement, uber acknowledged the charge was an error and apologized again. but, guys, i don't know, the traffic in new york city right now, it's possible to get a charge that expensive.

>> wow. all right, dylan. >> mta card. >> yeah, i like how dylan said it was one of the most expensive uber rides. might be even more. good to know. just ahead, the fun prince's harry and william had. and surprising very lucky and surprising very lucky viewer see ya. -take care. ♪ so probably take it at night. and if you have any questions, the instructions are here in spanish as you requested. gracias. ♪ at walgreens, how we care will change over time, but why we care remains the same treating everyone with the care and attention they deserve. walgreens. trusted since 1901. when food is good and clean and real, it's ok to crave. and with panera catering, there's more to go around.

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it's a better place, since you came along since you came along your touch is sunlight through the trees your kisses are the ocean breeze everything's alright when you're with me and i hold my favorite thing i hold the love that you bring but it feels like i've opened my eyes again and the colors are golden and bright again there's a song in my heart, i feel like i belong it's a better place since you came along

gewith a sparkling new sweater this weekend at kohl's! for the girl's - a holiday dress or a ceramic cookware set! plus take an extra 20% off when you spend $100 or more! you'll get kohl's cash too! presents for them, kohl's cash for you! give joy, get joy at kohl's!

hi, good morning. i'm jeff rossen. these are some of the season's

good morning. i'm via sikahema. it is almost 8:00 a.m. let's get to meteorologist bill henley for the most accurate neighborhood weather forecast. >> it is time to bundle up. a really cold start. look at the wind in center city. the winds right now steady at 25 miles per hour in philadelphia. stronger at coatesville and allentown. everybody has cold winds which are making it feel like the single digits. feels like 9 in philadelphia. northeast philadelphia and mt. holly, 6 is what it feels like in allentown. at 8 degrees in wilmington. without the wind, the temperatures are colds on their own. very low 20s. it will stay below freezing this afternoon. vai? >> thank you. we're in rush hour. let's check in with jessica boyington for more. what are you seeing? >> delays on 95 northbound now. an accident popped up around street road. again, in front of where this is right here, you can clearly see

what's happening. all traffic is almost at a standstill. it's slow getting off the ramp, as well. the backup is starting to move toward the accident scene where you have lanes blocked there. watching a crash in low lower moreland at pine road. >> thank you. right now philadelphia police are looking for the driver who left a dead hit and run in tacony. one car crashed into another car. a man died. two other people were hurt. investigators say the driver of the hit-and-run car and a passenger ran away from the scene. more on the dangerous colds. a code blue in effect for much of our viewing area including montgomery, camden, and bucks counties. in camden overnight, volunteers urged the homeless to come in and find shelter. today camden county police will be going door to door to check on the elderly and disabled. we will have another update for you coming up in 25 minutes. join us every weekday morning from 4:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m.

what do you think? hey, think ben will like it? yeah, was i the only one hearing the angelic music? i'm serious, i never know what to get him. just tell me you got him fios too. sigh. mrs. layne, fios is a 100% fiber-optic network. that, plus this sick console, he'll be like whaaaaaattt. your new tech is best on the 100% fiber optic network. so get fios. now just $79.99 per month with a 2-year price guarantee with a 2-year agreement.

it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, shocking upset. republican roy moore falls short in alabama's hotly contested senate race. democrat, doug jones, eking out an apparent and historic win. but moore is not ready to concede. >> when the vote is this close, it is not over. >> we're live with the latest. plus, rossen to the rescue. with the season's hottest toys hard to come by, jeff rossen and his team, crisscross the country creating holiday miracles some for deserving families. >> you do such beautiful things for these kids. it's the least we could do to help their christmas. and galactic royalty. ♪ princes william and harry make a

grand entrance at the "star wars" london premier. meeting the cast of the sci-fi epic, along with a fan-favorite andro droid, and rumors of the cameos in their movie are revealed. today, december 13th, 2017. >> it's freezing out here! what are you guys thinking? >> we love "today"! >> this group just flew back from thailand. you're running on three hours sleep. why? >> we wanted to celebrate katie's birthday on the plaza! >> hey, look who i found scla! >> happy 4th birthday, allison! >> i found 8-year-old elisia from alabama. >> good morning from the plaza! >> this cup from houston has a lot to celebrate. >> five years cancer-free. >> hey, al, guess who i found? >> i'm number your number-one fan! [ cheers and applause ] >> and welcome back to "today." good morning, everybody! it is wednesday morning.

it's a cold one out there. >> it is. i think it's 9 degrees with the wind. but we're going to go out. we're putting our hats and gloves and coats on. >> we have a hardy crowd out there and can't wait to see hello. we start with your news at 8:00. and the democrat, doug jones, declaring victory this morning in the alabama senate race that was clouded by sexual misconduct claims against his republican rival, roy moore. nbc's gabe gutierrez has been covering the campaign for us. he's in montgomery this morning. hi, gabe, good morning. >> reporter: savannah, good morning. ruby-red alabama will now be sending a democrat to washington for the first time in a generation. and the republican senate majority will now be razor-thin, 51-49. this morning, the blame game has started. president trump tweeting a short time ago the reason he originally endorsed roy moore's primary opponent, luther strange, is that he knew roy moore couldn't win the general election. roy worked hard, the president writes. but the deck was stacked against him.

this morning, a seismic political shift. a democrat is the apparent winner and the next senator from ruby-red alabama. >> we have shown not just around the state of alabama, but we have shown the country the way. that we can be unified! >> reporter: overnight, doug jones pulling off a stunning upset. >> thank you. >> congratulations. >> everybody feels great today. >> reporter: after a frantic scramble to get african-american voters and moderates to the polls. >> i think that i have been waiting all my life, and now i just don't know what the hell to say. >> reporter: in a brief, somber speech to his supporters, his republican opponent, roy moore, refused to concede. and even raised the possibility of a recount. >> when the vote is this close, then it's not over. >> reporter: the horse race was surreal. for weeks, the headlines dominated by sexual misconduct allegations against moore. the former judge repeatedly denied claims that he molested teen girls decades ago.

one as young as 14. >> this is simply dirty politics. >> reporter: president trump tweeting a rare congratulations to a democrat for a hard-fought victory, adding the republicans will have another shot at this seat in a very short period of time. it never ends. >> i think we got it. >> reporter: regina johnson, it was personal. >> woo! that's it, that's it. >> reporter: she's one of the women who accused moore of unwanted sexual advances, alleging he groped her at his law office in 1991 when she was 28. >> i am just thrilled that speaking out did make a difference. and that we won't be silenced any more. >> reporter: as for that possible recount that roy moore suggested, it is highly unlikely. under alabama law, a recount would automatically kick in if the margin of victory was less than one half of one percentage point. but doug jones topped roy moore by three times that margin. savannah? >> all right, gabe gutierrez,

thank you. earlier on "today," democratic senator, kirsten gillibrand, stood by her call for president trump to step down in the face of renewed sexual misconduct accusations against him. and during an exclusive interview, savannah asked gillibrand about the president's tweet tuesday that the senator would, quote, do anything for campaign contributions. >> let me be blunt about it. did you interpret that tweet as a sexual reference? >> well, certainly that's how i and many people read it. and it was certainly just a sexist smear. intended to silence me. and i'm not going to be silenced on this issue are u. i have heard the testimony of many women, numerous accusers. i believe them. and he should resign for that. >> meantime, new york's other senate minority leader, chuck sh schumer, says he was the target of a fake document offered to news organizations. schumer's office says the document is forged and has been turned over to capital police.

we know the cause of that fast-moving wildfire that destroyed homes last week in the bel-air neighborhood of los angeles. officials say the so-called skur ball fire was sparked by an illegal cooking fire at a homeless encampment. the fire scorched more than 400 acres since it broke out last wednesday. the flames burned down six homes, forced thousands of mandatory evacuations. there have been no arrests in the case. 8:06 now. time for the morning boost. >> let's do it. kids, if you can't count on a family member to help you in your time of need, who can you count on? watch what happens during a youth wrestling match in indiana. a little girl and a little boy are locked up in a ear-to-ear match when the girl's little brother jumps into action. dad has to run in and scoop up the overprotective sibling. everyone got a good laugh. apparently the boy thought his big sis was being picked on. and you know what, he was having none of it. get off my sister! >> i love it. that is adorable. lots more ahead this morning.

including the one thing that might possibly be able to overshadow a "star wars" premier. we'll show you. >> wow. plus, he plays the greatest showman and he is a pretty good one himself. hugh jackman is stopping by. first, let's see what megyn has coming up. >> hey, guys, a teenage football player seemed to have it all until the panic attacks started before he knew it, he was in the hospital. how he found joy when he joins us live today. and next, it's rossen to the rescue. >> hi, good morning. i'm jeff rossen. they are the hottest toys of the season. stores are sold out. the prices online are sky-high. so we bought them for you. handing toys out to parents and children in need. the results of our rossen the results of our rossen reports ( ♪ ) more people shop online for the holidays than ever before. (clapping)

and the united states postal service delivers more of those purchases to homes than anyone else in the country. ( ♪ ) because we know, even the smallest things are sometimes the biggest. even the smallest things ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ my dbut now, i take used tometamucil every day.sh it traps and removes the waste that weighs me down, so i feel lighter. try metamucil, and begin to feel what lighter feels like.

i this year, start a new holiday tradition. delicious recipes made with nutella! the holidays never tasted this good. discover holiday recipes at nutella.com.

in this home we make breakfast. sometimes messes! but always masterpieces ...together. what matters most is made at home. giveand get $10 kohl's cash wefor every $50 spent! give the latest active and wellness gifts that will keep them on the move all year long and you'll get kohl's cash! presents for them, kohl's cash for you! give joy, get joy at kohl's!

welcome back. with a new rossen to the rescue, a followup to tuesday's big holiday toy challenge. >> that's right. today national investigative correspondent, jeff rossen, showed us why it's so hard to find the season's hottest toys, and then launched a contest to give some of them away for free. and yes, the viewers did respond. and jeff is in orlando this morning with the results. jeff, this is a fun one. good morning! >> yeah. this is so fun. and it's been so inspiring, my team has been tireless. we have been up for 24 hours, reading all of your tweets, all of your stories. so many families in need this year. so many families where money is tight, and they can't afford these sky-high prices for these toys. so this morning, we are crisscrossing the country, making some special deliveries and in just a moment, programs the biggest surprise of all right inside this house. they are the hottest toys this season. fingerlings. the lol surprise big surprise, and the classic super nintendo

nes. many stores are sold out. prices online sky-high. we bought them, and on tuesday, made this announcement live on "today." >> we have bought extras of all the toys, and we want to give them to you, our viewers! so we want you to tweet us right now using the hash tag rossenreportscontest. >> thousands and thousands of you wrote in. so late tuesday, the rossen reports team deployed nationwide. one thing i've noticed from this contest is how many good people there are in the world. and one of them, her name is la tasha. and i saw this tweet from her. i had to meet her. she wrote, i am a single foster mother who recently took in a family of four brothers ages 2 through 8. the super nintendo classic would really make their day. okay. so i have the super nintendo classic. we are here in georgia. let's surprise her. >> oh, jeff rossen! >> la tasha? >> yes, oh, my god! >> you do such beautiful things for his kids.

it's the at least we could do to help their christmas. >> oh, my god. thank you so much! matthew! >> what? >> will this help to make their holiday better? >> oh, my god, yes. it would be amazing. matthew, look! >> yes, yes! >> what do you think, matthew? >> it's great, thank you. >> i'm going to cry! >> i know! >> oh, we're just getting started. >> hello! >> my producer, olivia, flying to louisiana to surprise this mother. her husband is deployed this christmas, and she was just laid off. for their kids, we deliver an lol surprise and a nintendo. this year, so many families displaced by natural disasters. this mom writing to us, my 14-year-old twins went through harvey, and then moved to florida to start over and went through irma. this christmas, we are grateful to be alive, but it will be very small. my girls would love a nintendo system or a finger pet. >> jeff rossen from nbc news. >> oh, my gosh! it's -- it's actually you!

>> it's actually me! we've brought presents for your daughters. where are they? can we go upstairs and see them? >> she leads us to the living room. >> i heard you guys wanted fingerlings. >> those are adorable! >> are you okay? tears of joy, i hope. >> yes. i love these things. they're so adorable. >> reading your tweets is what touched us so much. stories of brave children, fighting sickness and disabilities. this mom wrote to us, my 14-year-old with autism and his brother would love the nintendo classic, as this is how they bond, through talking about video games. thank you for a chance. >> can't wait to see their faces when they get their hands on this. >> my producer, lindsey, showing up at their door. >> i'm with the "today" show and rossen reports. and we heard you guys wanted a super nintendo. >> oh, my gosh. did you know your mom sent us a tweet? >> i didn't know we were going to win, though. >> we can't forget about the

west coast, and this little boy from california. his grandma writing, my grandson just received a bone marrow transplant for leukemia. his mom cannot afford christmas this year. time to surprise them, too. >> lucas, your grandmother wrote to us this morning on twitter. and she told us about how strong of a boy you've been. and you know what she recommended? is that you get this toy! are you excited? are you ready to play? >> yeah! >> coast to coast, smiles for the families who deserve them most. >> happy holidays! bye! loved meeting all of them. and right now we are inside the ronald mcdonald house here in orlando. this is an amazing charity. they house families for free when their kids are being treated at hospitals away from home. now, i heard you guys like toys, right? >> yeah! >> they like toys and a lot are spending christmas here. they're being treated, everything from brain injuries

to pediatric cancer. so guys, we got you some of the hottest toys that you can't find in the stores. so if you guys want to -- you want them to get these? >> yeah! >> go get them! the parents were telling me, this is so important, debby. you were telling me that your daughter has been here. what does this mean? little things like this, be even? >> oh, you take their mind off of what's going on out there, and you guys care. takes the mind off and makes them happy. that's what it's all about. >> we're happy to be here. thank you so much. >> we appreciate it. >> everyone here is so brave. these kids are so amazing. we're going to stand here for a little while, guys. this is so inspirational to watch them ripping into those toys. very cool? you like that? of course, as you know, guys, it's hard to get the packaging open. we're here inside the ronald mcdonald house, and thank you to everyone in america for those tweets. our thoughts and hearts are with you this holiday season. >> absolutely. well done, jeff, and your whole team. it's lovely. >> by the way, i have loved a lot of jeff stories, but this is at the top of the heap, isn't it? great job. >> and they have been working

day and night to go across the country last night. awesome. >> beautiful. >> thanks to you guys. appreciate it. give some hugs out there. love it. thank you. mr. roker, that makes us feel good. >> that's right. santa cleared out the weather so they didn't have any problems. that worked out nicely. we do have leftover lake-effect snow. we have another clipper that's going to be coming across the great lakes, dumping about 4 to 6 inches of snow from minneapolis all the way up into northern new england over the next 48 hours. bone-chilling cold again. it feels like 6 in boston right now. 7 in new york city. 8 in cleveland. feels like 5 below when you factor in the winds in buffalo. afternoon highs stay in the teens and 20s through the northern tier of states. 80s in southern california, where they could use some rain and cooler weather. and chances for a white christmas this year. white christmas defined as it leaves one inch of snow cover on christmas morning from fargo across to chicago, detroit, buffalo, cleveland, on into burlington. looks pretty good. likely also out in the pacific nohwest and along thert

good morning. i'm meteorologist bill henley. bundle up if you're heading out the door. a brutally cold wind is blowing. the temperature will warm to 31 in philadelphia, 29 in the suburbs. with the wind factored in, it will feel like the teens. 34 at the jersey shore. 29 with sunshine in the lehigh valley. lots of sunshine in delaware but plenty of wind too, just 31. have a great day. ah. >> alrighty, al. trending time. trending on twitter this morning. bon jovi. what was just revealed. bon jovi among next year's 2018 rock and roll hall of fame inductees. the other, my three celeb dinner would be -- okay. it is the most wonderful time of year. we all know that. while shopping, planning, decorating, cooking, wrapping

presents and writing cards, your holiday to-do list can seem endless. in a yelp survey, 69% of people said they were stressed and many would be willing to pay to have someone else do their holiday tasks. so that brings us to "today's" trending. holiday tasks. would you delegate it if you could? delegate, yes, not delegate no. holiday shopping. do you want to delegate it? >> yes. >> yes. ooh, of course. because you like -- you enjoy shopping. >> i do. >> and you're good at it. cook your holiday meal? >> no. >> yes, i would delegate. >> delegate. >> who -- >> i would delegate. >> you know what, we don't cook. >> right. >> okay. >> we don't do anything. >> take down and put away your decorations. >> oh. >> take them down. >> take them down. >> yeah, take them down. >> i would definitely have someone else take them down. >> i like putting them up. >> me too. >> okay. >> a simple kid's toy christmas morning. no. >> delegate. >> you would want to do it yourself? >> no, i want to delegate. oh. >> what about wrapping?

what about gift wrapping? >> i like gift wrapping? >> did we do -- >> gift wrapping, yes or no, delegate? >> yes. >> i like wrapping. >> you like to do it? >> no, i would delegate. >> me too. >> means you don't want to do it. gosh. two quick ones. make holiday returns. obviously, we delegate. >> delegate. >> drinking eggnog. delegate. i don't want to drink it. >> why would i have someone else do that? >> i don't want to delegate. >> i'm glad we had this talk. >> so confusing. >> take it away. okay. let's begin "pop start" with the royals. prince william and harry hit the red carpet for the european premier of "star wars" the last jedi. lucy cavanaugh was at the premier last night. i'm jealous. how was it? >> reporter: dylan, good morning. this was a star-studded event that got the royal stamp of approval. prince harr ime be busy planning his wedding and prince william awaiting the birth of his third

child, but they managed to find some time to hit the red carpet. and the force was with them. in a galaxy not so far, far away, right here in london, actually, hollywood "star wars" royalty shared the red carpet with british royalty. the dashing princes greeted with proper protocol by the film's adorable droid, and a bit of enthusiasm from the cast. >> i hope i don't trip when i read them. >> reporter: this was no ordinary premier. they were reportedly making came oappearances in the film, disguised as storm troopers. was this the scene? lucy cavanaugh of -- the producer keeping mum. >> i did not say they made a cameo. >> reporter: but after john spilled the beans at the hollywood reporter's actor's round table. >> it wasn't intimidating. >> reporter: joking last night -- >> i think harry is the jedi. i really do believe that. >> reporter: even chewy played by finnishasketball player sa

tammo, was impressed. >> it's a royal competition. >> reporter: the pair dropped by the "star wars" set in london last year. the brothers getting a sneak peek at the costumes and creatures. getting their hands on some of the most famous props in the world. >> am i supposed to wear this during the film? >> reporter: but last night, it was the royal force meeting the force. the british empire striking back. dill lab l dylan, no official word on whether prince harry got any acting trips from his fiancee, but we did hear from meghan markle will be joining this year, a major break in tradition, since the pair isn't officially getting married until may. dylan? >> interesting. thank you so much. and now to a special "pop start" premier. we have a look at the trailer for the upcoming movie, the 1517 to paris. remember in 2015 when three courageous americans shot off a terrorist attack aboard a train? they are now headed to the big screen. take a look.

>> once you begin to discover who you are, then you realize how you have been given authority over your life! but you can only do that through the struggle of life. and most people avoid the struggle. but we've been chosen for this great work. >> now the movie is directed by clint eastwood, and he cast the real-life heroes to play themselves. >> wow. >> the film hits theaters february 9th. the full trailer, head to today.com. >> that's amazing. >> cool. and finally, the golden globes. everyone is still talking about the 2018 nominations just announced monday. and this year is extra special. it's the 75th anniversary of the award show. so nbc, the hollywood foreign press association and dick clark productions are teaming up to bring us a star-studded anniversary special. and we have an exclusive sneak peek. here's a look back at when some

of the biggest stars who won for the very first time. >> i got so nervous, i didn't know the etiquette of coming up here when you win these awards, because i'm -- i don't know. and yet i've been in this room since i was 7 years old. >> to my mother, i love you. did okay, huh? >> i want to thank my mama, who said i could do it. can you believe it, ma? >> my father used to tell me to say every morning, today is going to be a great day. i can and i will. well, dad, today is a great day. i can and i did. >> thank you to hollywood foreign press, and most of all, my family. mom, stop crying. stop screaming. it's okay. >> will and grace stars will host the two-hour event which will feature interviews with nicole kidman and many more. you can catch the golden globes 75th anniversary special tonight at 9:00 p.m. right here on nbc. >> the movie about the real heroes in paris, the real heroes

will be on the "today" show in february. >> cool! >> that's awesome. >> "pop start" news for you. >> breaking news. >> yes. let's get to this one. i was trying to make that catch. a group of tourists were surprised when they got up close and personal with a great white shark. take a look. >> ooh. >> whoa! >> my god. >> ooh. ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh. >> oh, my gosh! >> ooh! horrible. >> i'm going to get to this thing. >> whoa! >> oh, they were -- >> oh, my god. >> crazy! >> there were divers in the cage. >> oh, no, indeed. >> attack the whole time? thankfully the shark lost interest in the cage when someone on the boat threw food into the water. i mean, you go shark diving, and i guess that's what you prepare

to have happen. >> wow. all right, thank you, dylan. straight ahead, international superstar in the house, p good morning. just a few minutes before 8:30. let's get right to first alert meteorologist bill henley with your most accurate neighborhood forecast. a really cold one. >> especially when you factor in the strong gusty winds. winds are gusting now to 30 miles an hour in philadelphia and 39 miles an hour in allentown. we're stuck right now in the single digits. feels like 6 in allentown and pottstown. even at the shore, single digits for wildwood and atlantic city. temperatures will feel like they

range from 10-20 degrees this afternoon. if you're on 76 right now, you may be stuck in a little bit of traffic. >> if you're on it, you're going to be on it for a little while. schuylkill around cityline avenue, stop and go. it's really usually not moving at this point right now anyway, but right now it's particularly rough out there. also in hatfield township, lexington road for a crash. today the philadelphia police department will honor close to five dozen of its officers for excellence, valor, bravery and heroism during ceremonies in northeast philadelphia. 11 officers will receive the valor award for extraordinary acts of courage. sergeant wilson was shot and killed in 2015 during a robbery in north philadelphia. we'll be back in another 25 minutes.

good morning, everybody! it's wednesday, december 13th, 2017. beautiful day out here on our plaza. so cold, so lovely. but there is one little pig that will cheer up everything. it's peppa. she is here. we all know peppa pig, those of us with toddlers. and we are very excited to have peppa and the celebrity voice collecting the toy for our toy drive this morning. how exciting is that? >> are you busting? >> i love peppa so much. >> i know. that's been the talk.

you actually showed me some cartoons on your phone. >> i did. well, it's for my 3-year-old who loves peppa, but i love her too. >> and peppa herself is here. >> interrupt for a second. hoda, i know you normally take over the crowd moment here. but i want to do it for you. i want to bring you with me. >> okay. what? >> there's a group of girls -- i think are a little bit obsessed. >> hoda, hoda, hoda, hoda! >> come on over. >> hoda, hoda, hoda, hoda! >> i found your biggest fans. >> we love you, hoda! >> that's awesome. [ cheers and applause ] >> who doesn't love hoda? >> this is like my whole past

life. you guys, that was so nice. yes, i will -- i'll take a picture. >> it's your fan corner. >> i'll be right here. >> okay. coming up, we have another great big star. not just peppa pig. we've got hugh jackman here. oh, yes. we're going to talk about his role as the greatest showman to buzz around the movie. and why that movie almost wasn't made. >> that's pretty cool. and what you need to complete the holidays besides presents? cookies, of course. we're going to dress up the classic butter cookie, not one, not, two, not three, but four. >> yummy. first, megyn, what have you got coming up? >> so how about that roy moore stunning loss last night in alabama. why steve bannon is crying in his soup. and then we're going to talk about lotcas. this is not just about merry christmas and the ugly -- what is that, fruit cake? >> fruit cake. >> it's about the smushed tater

tot. and it's awesome. and also faux fur and how to wear it. it's very confusing. faux fur. >> okay, megyn. we need some faux fur. am i right? >> fe, fi, fo, fur. >> that's our envy talking. >> you guys all just climb in. there is plenty of room. we've got a birthday girl over here. very nice. happy birthday to you. let's show what's going on as far as your weather is concerned. smog in the pacific northwest. red flag warnings in southern california. strong winds around the western great lakes. windy and cold in the northeast and new england. tomorrow, lake-effect snow firing up in the eastern great lakes. that persistent fog continues in the valleys of the northwest. the winds start to pick up again in southern california. not great news there. plenty of sunshine, warm, through the gulf coast, on into the southeastern aantic ctloa good morning. i'm meteorologist bill henley. bundle up if you're heading out the door. a brutally cold wind is blowing.

the temperature will warm to 31 in philadelphia, 29 in the suburbs. with the wind factored in, it will feel like the teens. 34 at the jersey shore. 29 with sunshine in the lehigh valley. lots of sunshine in delaware but plenwindf oo, just 31. have a great day. [ cheers and applause ] >> and that's your latest weather. hey, we've got to make sure we get all of these people seen. and also let you know that no matter where you have weather and when you need d it, make su you check out our friends on the weather channel on cable. oh, savannah? >> al, thank you so much. the new musical "the greatest showman" is getting a lot of buzz, with the star hugh jackman. he sings his way on to the screen as circus pioneer, pt

barnum. ♪ a million dreams are keeping me away ♪ ♪ a million dreams a million dreams ♪ ♪ i dream of what the world can be ♪ ♪ i dream of the world i see ♪ >> oh, i mean, it's so good. the music is beautiful. >> thank you. i'm laughing because your crew are dancing in the background. guys, that -- that one was amazing. i'm a little upset we didn't use it in the movie i know. exactly. i didn't know they had such heart. i mean -- >> see? >> but this is the kind of movie that makes you want to sing and dance and -- >> yeah. >> it's beautiful. >> it's a perfect -- for me, a perfect movie for this time of year. it's for everybody. it is uplifting. it's got i think a great theme about inclusion and tolerance for those people -- back in those days, it was a bearded lady, a three-legged man. but really, the story of being kind to everyone. that we can create family. we can create tolerance i think is perfect for them. >> the message is evergreen, as they say.

this was a labor of love. i know you tried to get this made for years. >> seven and a half. >> but who is counting? >> yeah, right. no, it was just after i hosted the oscars, and the producer said, you know, you've done movies, "wolverine," musicals on broadway and the west end. you should put the two together. and i was like, great. to be honest, i thought it was a one in ten chance. because no matter who you are, it had been 23 years since a studio had said yes to that. and thankfully, we found justin and benj who were nobodies at the time. won for "la la land." >> just got three grammy award nominations. and they no longer talk to me. but that's fine. because i wrote -- they're way too big. they wrote ten incredible songs. >> and i know there was this critical moment in the process where you're trying to get this movie made. >> yeah. >> and i heard a story that it was rehearsal time, this big moment with the producers. >> yeah. >> and you had had skin surgery the night before. >> yeah. >> and the doctor said, whatever you do, don't sing. >> don't sing. >> so what happened? >> i had had a skin cancer, and

he said you've got to get it out. and i said, can we wait until after the performance? he said, no, it's cancer. so he put 80 stitches in my nose and everything was fine. and i thought, i'll turn up the next day and there were probably 80 people, big wigs, all ready to make the decision were we or weren't we. the director was not happy with me, but i had someone singing for me. so i would do the scenes and he would sing. and it came to the last number, and i thought i'll just sing the first line. i'll sing the second line, it's quiet. and then i was off. i'm a big ham. so i started singing, finished the number. it was a good show biz moment. oh -- he overcame. and then all of a sudden i felt this trickle of blood. yeah. it was not good. i had to go and get some of those stitches redone. but worth it. >> it was worth it! >> the show must go on. >> i was going to say, blood, sweat and tears, literally. and it's kind of full circle for you. because pt barnum, a great showman, the circus. you do have some experience in the clown sector. >> oh, my gosh. you've done your research. >> of course i have!

so when was this? you used to -- you were a clown at birthday parties? >> 21 or 22. and me and stan were cocoa and bozo. clearly hadn't put a lot of effort into that. that was a rented clown suit. sorry, i still haven't given it back. and i gave up, nally, after a year when i did an 8-year-old's party, and your job as a clown is literally to distract the kids for an hour while the parents have a glass of wine. >> exactly. >> so that eight minutes in -- maybe three minutes in, this 8-year-old stands up, mom, this clown is terrible! he might have used a different word than terrible. and i was, like -- i literally grabbed my ace, which was juggling eggs, and i just gave them all two dozen eggs and they started throwing eggs at me and i thought this is the greatest thing ever and that was the last time. >> you're like, i'm out. >> i'm out. >> you talked a little bit about the movie, one of the themes is inclusion, and acceptance of whoever you are. >> right. >> and i read, and i was interested to see, you had

actually given up dancing for a long, long time. >> yeah. >> because you didn't -- what -- >> a teacher pulled me aside and said you have talent, you should do dancing lessons. so i went home and told my dad. and he was like, great. and someone said, oh, you're a sissy dancer. and i said what? and he said, dancing is for sissies. and i said i'm not a sissy so i didn't do it. and i was in theatre when i was 18, and sang 42nd street with my dad and at the end, came up to me and he said, you know, i said something really stupid to you about eight years ago much. you belong on the stage. and i'm really sorry. so the next day i signed up for dancing lessons. but it was about seven or eight years. >> you are kidding me? that just gave me some chills. >> really? for me too at the time. i was grateful he had said it because i had forgotten about it. it wasn't like the whole seven years i was like i wish -- i just forgot.

so for my kids or any kids out there, i don't care if you want to be a mechanic, make pizza, dance, if you love it, do it. don't care what anybody else says. that's part of the message of this movie. >> and it's never too late. >> never too late. >> and as we mentioned, hue picked up a golden globe nomination this week for his portrayal and he reacted to the news on twitter saying in part, through all of the literal blood, sweat and tears, giving up was never an option. as it is said, with great risk comes great reward. thank you, hollywood foreign press. "the greatest showman" opens one week from today. and hugh is a doll. >> you were totally cool, too. i was wondering -- you fan girled a little. >> a little bit. i was the inner dork that you know well. but, yes, i tried to play it cool. coming up, an easy option if you're looking for last-minute holiday gifts. the best books to give or curl up with this year. but first, this is "today" on nbc. getting a cancer diagnosis is difficult. getting an appointment to discuss your treatment options shouldn't be. meet with a ctca cancer specialist

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hassle-free holiday. if you're still looking for presents for your loved ones, may we suggest a good book. here is "new york times" best-selling authors emily giffen. emily, let's start with the fiction category. what would be your number one -- >> and thank you for the stockings. >> you're welcome. >> so my fiction recommendation is the story of true love by elizabeth berg. we were just chatting about her. we both love her. he knows her, i don't. >> oh, yeah? >> three lonely people who find an unexpected connection. and it just really highlights the good in people. it's uplifting. story. >> would you give it to men, women, both? >> yes. anyone. anyone. >> all right. harlan, what's your number-one fiction book? >> "blue bird blue bird."

a great blues song could be a book full of great heart ache, it would be this. an exciting murder mystery, really gripping, really thrilling and beautifully written. my favorite voice i've heard this year. you will be hearing a lot about her, i think. >> is that the first? >> this is her first in this new series and first real mystery. >> okay. let's go nonfiction. emily, where are we going? >> we are going with bobby kennedy. >> oh, that's chris matthews' book. >> chris matthews' new book. i am fascinated by the kennedys. a lot of people are. he's my favorite, though. bobby is my favorite. he embodies the idealism of that family and is just the best of what that family offered. and this is a very intimate portrait. >> so often when you feel like i think i've read everything about the kennedys, do you learn more in that book? >> you do. you see him from the perspective of the brooding young soul. you really feel like you get to know him intimately. so if you like the kennedys, this is a great one. chris matthews is a great writer.

>> harlan. >> "the killer of the flowered moon" by david graham which tells a true crime and historical novel. the osage nation in the 1920s were like the kuwaitees of today, super wealthy in oklahoma getting the oil. and someone started to kill them and murder them. and this is a unbelievably well-researched -- it's written like a detective novel. an important book to read. and also very entertaining. >> how do you guys get your recommendations? do you go through and read things, get recs from friends like we do? >> mostly friends. >> i think friends. it's one of the perks of being a writer. you get some advanced reading copies. >> show us your coffee table book. >> are we skipping one? oh, wait. >> coffee table is fine. you want to go? >> sure. "the portraits of courage" by george w. bush. >> oh, yeah. >> george bush says he's a novice as a painter. he's painted of great art or

a lot of good art, reflects both on the sct so talented. >> and what's yours? >> mine is "clairegs" and i don't cook. it's beautiful even if you're not a big chef. >> and quickly, give us your children's book picks. >> "the hates you give" by angie thomas. my 16-year-old daughter recommended it. it's a great book about race but also entertaining. >> will be a movie too. >> very important book. adults too. >> until i had harlan's list, i had to take it off. that's how good it is. here we are, children's book. it's written by jeffers and the after glow of having a newborn. the message is really simple and great for the holiday. be kind, be accepting and we're all on this planet earth together. gt picks.

thank you so much for being here. ted a bonus pick exclusively for the web. pick exclusively for the web. you can find their full list at vanessa: i'm thankful that addiction i want you to know: we are here for you. this holiday seagov.

♪ we are back.

it's 8:49. this cookie craze is coast. plenty this holiday, bakers are battering up to see just how t cookie crumbles. >> fla trendingre peppermint, chocolate and cinnamon. >> during the months of november and december, 93% of americans take to baking. spending $110 billion on candy and food. just a fraction of the 19,000 us eat in our that's a lot of >> christmas time cki european tradition that can be traced as far back as the 16th century, brought to the u.s. 100 years later by the dutch. santa and are sprinkled and gift-givers alike. >> this 100,000 americans

will give baked goods for the holiday season. >> boldly bakinged in j also add fouryolks, vermont," here with a family butter cookie for us to try. which is alemon juice, because good morning! >> good morning. >> everything looks so beautiful. we're ready to dig in. >> i try not to eat the dough. it's a tough battle in all of this. >> it is. >> we're making my grandmother's you peel every other one and l a strip across. german butter cookies. it's one of those recipes i've >> okay. like this way? >> way. >> do yoha had since it was written by >> oh, and then you put it back hand. handwriting. so it's like aworry, because it the cutest thing. so you have to translate the german words and the handwriting, which is so much rely well. or yust eat the piece you fun. broke off. so you're spending time with >> okay. >> we have one minute. people you love. i want to make sure we g over there's lots of butter in there. here. >> this is what happens when you make thecheckerboard. and what it means is butter stuff. so it is butter stuff. lrv e flou hat it's the right t so you. >> beautiful. of structure in the flour and >> you roll it out and stamp it the right amount of and salt. out and i have extra just to make the cuff. and then -- >> beautiful! >> i like that. >> so this is the piping part. and the best way to pipe is that in her s likee. you have, obviously piping bags. if you get really nice tips and you just -- y a great and it's different textures.

one isds. sn to be right? >>sers, oing decorations, you can put h, ys d omi's recipe, go to today.com/food. we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc.

as we finish off these cookies, in our apatow will be best mail-order gifts. and a live performance. how about that? >> you're doing her? >> a-plus? >> f-minus? look fun? megyn kelly today is next after

c 10 ns morning.