mr. strz . good morning. american revolution. house and senate republicans reach a deal, one that will affect every american. corporate taxes slashed. the obama insurance mandate gone. some big winners and some big losers. the bill would be the first legislative victory for the president. what does it mean for you? we've live with the latest. courting disaster. a video showing one of president trump's nominee unable to answer even the most basic legal questions and admitting he has virtual no trial experience at a senate confirmation hearing. >> have you ever tried a jury

trial? >> i have not. >> civil? >> no. criminal? >> no. >> bench? >> no. >> will he still get the job? police in toronto investigates after a billionaire and his wife are found dead in their home. neighbors in disbelief over the deaths as the police call the deaths suspicious. all that plus anita hill heads to hollywood to help the entertainment industry take control of sexual harassment allegations. people fall ill on board a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean and a close encounter of a different kind as an asteroid gets close to earth. >> announcer: this is "today" with sheinelle jones, craig melvin and dylan dreyer. good morning and welcome to "today." thanks for joining us. >> glad to have you with us.

i'm craig melvin. dylan dreyer standing by. this close encounter we're going to have. are we going to -- >> it's not going to hit the earth, but it's going to come the closest it's been since 1974 and it won't be this close until 2093. >> first lets get to the top story. that's the tax bill getting one step closer to passage. on friday two more republican senators said they would be voting yes on the tax plan. getting closer to giving the president his biggest legislative win in his first year in office. nbc white house correspondent kelly o'donnell is at the white house this morning with what it means for your bottom line. >> reporter: president trump is just a couple of days from what appears to be something that has eluded him during his 11 months in office. that is a major policy idea that turns into law. the president is expecting to see that vote this week because the house has scheduled it for tuesday. it is a tax cut bill package.

democrats have said that it is tilted toward the rich but the president described it in his own way calling the bill monumental. longing for a holiday win, the. gamed out chances for his promised tax cuts. >> i think that we are going to be in a position to pass something as early as next week alcohol be monumental. >> reporter: with newly announced yes votes from republican senators marco rubio and bob corker. gop lawmakers unveiled a final draft that includes lowering the corporate tax rate to 21% setting lower tax rate brackets for individuals, roughly doubling the standard deduction many families claim and in a blow to obamacare, the tax bill ends the insurance mandate. this expected legislative victory tempered by the president's frustrations over the russia probe. >> my worst enemies. they walk out. they say there is no collusion,

but we'll continue to look. they're spending millions and millions of dollars. there is absolutely no collusion. >> reporter: president trump turned his ire toward the fbi after it was disclosed a top agent was removed from the investigation last summer because of anti-trump text messages sent during the 2016 campaign. >> it's a shame what's with the fbi, but we're going to rebuild the fbi. it will be bigger and better than ever. >> reporter: that criticism came as the president headed to the fbi academy for a law enforcement graduation ceremony where the president riffed in campaign style. >> you see there's the fake news back there. look, everyone. fake news. no. actually, some of them are fine people. >> reporter: while praising local law enforcement, the president decried urban violence. >> what the hell is going on in chicago? what the hell is happening

there? >> reporter: the president was also asked by reporters if he's think being a pardon for michael flynn, the former national security adviser who pleaded guilty in charges related to the russia probe. the white house says no such consideration is happening. the president basically said that but added not yet. sheinelle, craig. >> kelly, thank you. elise jordan is a political analyst. she is also a former senior policy analyst for rand paul. let's start with the tax bill. republicans insist this will give the middle class a much needed tax break. they insist it will spur economic growth. you've got the tractors that say this is a corporate giveaway and it will mean that the approximate the and his wealthy friends will do well come tax time. a recent poll shows that just 25%, 25% approve of how republicans have handled tax reform. how much pressure have the republicans put on themselves for a win and what might this

mean come midterm next year? >> the problem right now is most voters have no idea what is actually in this tax bill and how it's going to affect their lives. going into this process the white house wanted to simplify the tax code. they wanted to have corporate tax reform. right now, though, 6,000 lobbyists were working on this bi bill. it doesn't seem like the swamp draining happened that's actually going to necessarily make this easier for people to actually file your taxes. >> let's switch gears and talk about the criticism of the fbi. obviously key allies of the president bashing the fbi, voices on the right. then he goes out to virginia and praises them. so if we pull back a little bit, how is this talk playing politically? is it dangerous for him to walk this line with the fbi? >> this is a pattern with president trump. he attacks institutions when he doesn't think the outcome might not be favorable to him. you go back to the campaign and his attacks on a judge, on the

judici judiciary that was trying a case. right now he's unhappy with bob mueller's investigation. he's unhappy with the fbi so he's attacking the messenger. it's a dangerous precedent because it destroys the public trust and apolitical nature of the institutions. >> you hear president trump insist there's no collusion, there was no collusion between his campaign and russia. he also talked about this nice phone conversation he had with russian president vladimir putin in which putin praised him. does the president still have this blind spot when it comes to russia and president putin? >> it is really the most bizarre tendency of president trump for someone who has a lot of criticism and is known for not holding back his criticism. he never has a bad word to say about vladimir putin. >> why is that do you think? >> this came about after yesterday. vladimir putin did his famous four hour press conference and he praised the stock market and so president trump wanted to

reach out to putin to thank him for praising him so vladimir putin has figured out a very successful tool to winning over this president. you praise him and he responds very well to flattery. >> always good to have you. thank you. now to president trump's judicial nominee who is coming under fire after this video went viral when he couldn't answer even the most basic questions about the law. nbc justice correspondent pete williams has more. >> reporter: it's rare that a nominee for a lifetime appointment as a federal judge has no courtroom experience. that was a problem for matthew peterson during his senate confirmation hearing this week. the most attention getting questions came from a wp frrepun from louisiana. >> have you ever tried a jury trial? >> i have not. >> civil? >> no. criminal? >> no. >> bench? >> no.

>>. >> reporter: peterson is a former congressional staffer and lawyer in private practice. he served on the federal election commission with the current white house counsel. he conceded that he has no background in trial work. >> i understand the challenge that would be ahead of me if i were fortunate enough to become a district court judge. >> reporter: but he could not understand some basic court questions. >> do you know what a motion in li limine is? >> i would not be able to give you a definition right here at the table. >> reporter: the senate has confirmed 12 to the federal appeals court. president obama's first year he had only three. but two other trump nominees for the courts were derailed this week. allegations that brett tally made supportive comments about the kkk helped sink his nomination. >> i don't know whether you put them on blog or on social media, but things that just showed that he didn't use good judgment. >> reporter: and the white house

gave up on jeff mateer who called transgender children satan's plan. the weather is not going to help those firefighters battling massive wildfires in southern california. 30 to 40 mile per hour winds are expected to drive the thomas fire dangerously close to hundreds of homes today. more than 900 homes have already been destroyed in the 12 days since that massive blaze has been burning in ventura and santa barbara counties. anita hill who accused clarence thomas of sexual harassment during his 1991 confirmation hearing will head a new commission to deal with sexual harassment in the entertainment. meantime peter jackson is accusing harvey weinstein's company of black listing

actresses. both actresses accused weinstein of sexual harassment. in the sports world the carolina panthers have opened an investigation into their own for allegations of workplace misconduct. a developing story out of rutgers. charges members of a sorority were drugged during a mixer in september. claiming members of the fraternity spiked their drink with a mixture of alcohol and xanax. ten members of the sig ma delta got sick. some passed out. the fraternity has been suspended for two years. the white house has released the approximate the and first lady's first official christmas portrait. melania trump tweeted out this of them smiling between snow covered trees in the white house. we're talking snow. >> it does look pretty with all

the christmas lights. within the past 24 hours we've seen up to 7 to 8 inches of snow. as those winds crossover, more lake effect is likely. as for additional snowfall k accumulations, 4 to 5 inches in those heavier bands. as we go through the day this area will produce heavier downpours downpours. it moves through louisiana on sunday. rainfall amounts about 2 to 3 inches. again, especiallyf i y

and that's your latest forecast. now to a story that's really out of this world. later today earth will have a very close encounter with a three mile wide asteroid. it's been called potentially hazardous and it's expected to fly right by us in just a matter of hours. m mia rodriguez is at kennedy space center. good morning. >> reporter: hey, good morning, craig. you know, scientists first spotted this back in 1983 and they've been keeping a close eye. today they're about to get their closest look yet. it's known as 3200 phaethon named after a character in greek

mythology who neal set fire to the earth by accident. considered three miles wide and potentially hazardous. >> it's still far away and nothing to worry about but something to have in mind. >> it will be 6.4 million miles away. that's like traveling from the earth to the moon 27 times. >> it's relatively close in astronomical terms. >> scientists hoping asteroids like this one could one day act like gas stations in the sky and help fuel deep space eck pl exploration. >> if we are able to get fuel out of them they could become an asset. >> reporter: and on friday a ground breaking mission from space x. its falcon nine rocket and capsule headed for the international space station. the rocket landing perfectly back on earth. the capsule set to dock with the

space station on sunday. meanwhile, the first ever object observed from another solar system to enter ours is moving on. >> there's still quite a bit to learn about this interstellar object on a limited time. >>. >> reporter: not much worry, but plenty of curiosity. >> there's so many things we don't know, like the depth of the ocean. there's so much to discover. >> reporter: and that's what nasa is hoping to do today. to make a discovery. by the way, that asteroid won't be this close to us again for another 76 years. >> fascinating. thank you. now to another galaxy far, far away as tens of thousands of people poured to the theater this we could to see the latest "star wars" movie and it's already getting big numbers. steve patterson is in los

angeles with more. >> reporter: good morning. it's also getting great reviews. now the predictions are this movie is set to open at over $200 million this weekend. that's big. no matter what galaxy you're in. in this galaxy and probably others far, far away, you won't find a stronger force than at the box office. >> i'm so psyched. >> this weekend "star wars" the last jedi opened to rave reviews. fans love it. >> it's mind blowing. >> reporter: and the numbers are out of this world. in first two days it has earned $106 million. >> seriously, a movie hasn't performed like this since, well, the last "star wars." >> rebellions are built on hope. >> reporter: in 2015 franchise revival "the force awakens"

soared to $248 million opening weekend. then in 2016 side chapter "rogue one" took in $155 million. now "the last jedi" is speexpec to break $200 million. >> why do these movie dos s do well? >> people simply love "star wars" and can't get enough. >> in 2012 disney franchised from george lucas at $4 billion. with plans to plablast out film for years to come. >> for disney, this kaain't checkers. they're look at this for decades. >> with fans filling theaters around the world, get used to the new empire. >> on a sadder note, this is the

last time carrie fisher reprized her role. she died almost a year ago. fans happy with her performance as well as the dedication she gets in the movie. don't want to spoil anything, but she does a great job. >> i've heard she was amazing. thank you, steve. >> what did you think of the movie? >> i loved it. i'm a huge "star wars" dork, but it was incredible. i loved it. did a great job for people who are fans. >> i can tell you're into "star wars." >> have you seen it? >> i am not. i'm going to see them. >> i know you're a big "star wars" fan. >> huge. every single one. i remember as a kid, i think we had a poster or something. it was exciting. >> all right. still to come this morning -- >> i've never seen you get so annoyed. but i did see "the holiday" on

the plane. >> we're going to take a bit of a turn. mystery surrounding the deaths of a billionaire and his wife. were they victims of foul play? >> plus terrifying moments caught on camera when a woman is bitten by a shar this is k.

astero time now for the download. rj . president trump got into a war of words with kristen jilly brand. the democrats pulled off a stunning upset in alabama. a shocking upset in alabama's controversial senate race. >> i think that i have been waiting all my life and now i just don't know what the hell to say. >> for the first time in a quarter century, one of

america's reddest states sending a democrat to washington. >> doug jones pulling off a stunning upset. >> everybody feels great today. >> for week the headlines dominated by sexual misconduct allegations against roy moore. president trump and democratic senator kirsten in a heated battle. mocking the new york democrat as someone who would kcome to my office begging for campaign d. . >> new allegations of sexual misconduct against prominent men this week. dustin hoffman. >> a growing and specific list of allegations. cory thomas telling a playwright he exposed himself to her in the 1980s.

the actor called the allegations false hoods. >> the food industry. >> mario ba telli touched them inappropriately. >> he said much of the behavior does in fact describe with ways i have acted. that behavior is wrong and there are no excuses. >> and former "today" host matt lauer. >> a former production assistant says she had a month long sexual with lauer in 2000. she said even though it was consensual i felt like a victim because of the power dynamic. we reached out who his representatives and they declined to comment. police they say this video shows detonating explosives attached to his body. three people suffered minor injuries while he was taken into custody and hospitalized in serious condition.

senator john mccain hospitalized this week suffering complications from his battle with brain cancer. now battling the same deadly brain cancer that killed former vice president joe biden's son beau. biden and mccain's daughter sharing a moment on "the view" on wednesday. beau talk about your dad's courage. not his illness. caught on camera an armed robber shot a donut store clerk. the worker survived but the shooter is still on the loose. and a woman on her honey moon was bitten by a shark has her horrified husband videotaped. luckily it wasn't too serious. bye-bye charlie. our puppy with a purpose said goodbye to us in order to start his new life as a service dog. >> just last month charlie finally met the wounded warrior he would serve. >> charlie has already changed my life just by being in it.

going back to this shark story, can you imagine? they were newlyweds. they were on their honey man. he's shooting the video while she gets bitten. that's not the way to start a marriage. >> drop the camera. do you punch the shark in the nose? >> just drop the camera. >> i mean, my goodness. >> fortunately, she was okay. >> still to come, this is an important one. an exploding battery warning. how you can keep yourself safe when you fly over the holidays. >> justin timberlake revealing the secret to his successful marriage. >> are you tired of some of your friends on facebook? coming up, how you can silence them. at least for a little while. first these messages.

good morning. i'm dray clark. time now 7:26 on this saturday morning. and we are off to another frigid start this morning. leftover snow from yesterday's blast of wintry weather could make driving or walking slick as you're getting out the door this morning. nbc10 first alert chief meteorologist tammie souza has your most accurate neighborhood forecast. tammie. >> the sun is up as we look across atlantic city plenty of snow out there to still melt, but we are at the freezing point here in atlantic city and that's good news. we'll get above freezing across the entire area eventually. right now 25 in philadelphia. but feels like the windchill is only 14. but these southwest winds will melt a lot of snow once we get into about midday today. so let's take a look at the temperatures you can expect in your neighborhood. 39 in philadelphia today.

38 for the suburbs and lehigh valley. 41 in south jersey. 42 on the jersey shore and 42 in delaware. we continue to melt tomorrow. we're going to be 41 in philadelphia, upper 30s for the lehigh valley and the pennsylvania suburbs and the low to mid 40s elsewhere. >> all right. thank you, tammie. be sure to download the free nbc10 app for realtime weather updates for your neighborhood. you can also get alerts to stay ahead of your next round overwintry weather. new this morning, investigators will be looking for the cause of a house fire in montgomery county. nbc10 was on scene the fire broke out just after 4:00 this morning. we're told everyone inside the home did get out safely. extra crews responded to help out firefighters battling both the flames and the bitter cold. there are no reports of anyone hurt. i'm dray clark. more on the "today" show coming back in just a few minutes. have a good morning.

for mild-to-moderate eczema? it can be used almost everywhere on almost everybody. the face of a fisherman? the hand of a ranch hand?

the knee of a needle pointer? prescription eucrisa is a nose to toes eczema ointment. it blocks overactive pde4 enzymes within your skin. and it's steroid-free. do not use if you are allergic to eucrisa or its ingredients. allergic reactions may occur at or near the application site. the most common side effect is application site pain. ask your doctor about eucrisa.

we are back on this saturday morning, december 16th, 2017. we're going to get outside in just a bit. let's begin with a check of the headlines starting with a landmark deal in washington that will affect every american. >> a class of their own. from prime minister justin trudeau -- nch t the gop massive tax plan after two holdout saerpenators they will vote for it. >> i think that we are going to be in a position to pass something as early as next week which will be monumental. >> the big losers, residents in high tax states and obamacare. a vote expected early next week.

legal lightweight? a video goes viral showing one of the president's nominees unable to answer the most basic legal questions and admitting to virtually no trial experience during his september confirmation hearing. >> you have ever tried a jury trial? >> i have not. >> civil? >> no. >> criminal? >> no. >> bench? >> no. sea sick. about 220 passengers board a royal caribbean cruise ship have come down with an illness. passengers have been treated by a doctor on board and the cruise liner says the ship is going to undergo an intensive cleaning process. still in the spotlight, hillary clinton on "the ellen show" reveals a secret about the inauguration. >> i have to say we did try to get out of it. holiday bonus. officers in jacksonville florida playing santa.

giving out $100 gift cards to folks in need. they are spreading holiday joy today, saturday, december 16th, 2017. protecting, serving, and giving. >> one of my favorite parts of the holiday. the random acts of kindness. also new this morning, police in toronto, canada are investigating a pair of mysterious deaths after a billionaire and his wife were found dead in their home. nbc morgan rat foford is follow this. >> reporter: good morning. certainly a tough one. friends and neighbors are in disbelief after he and his wife were found dead in their friday. he was founder of a drug company. >> reporter: this morning detectives are trying to solve a mystery at a toronto mansion. >> we've discovered two bodies. >> canadian billionaire bernard sherman and his wife were found

dead in his home on thursday. >> the circumstances of their death is suspicious. >> the shermans were selling their multi million dollar mansion when a real estate agent discovered their bodies in the basement. police are still investigating a cause of death. >> if it is determined to be a hom si homicide, our investigators will come in. >> he made his fortune in pharmaceuticals. forbes reported his net worth to be $3.2 billion. sherman did face family drama. a decade long legal battle against his cousins just tossed out in september. they claim sherman owed them a chunk of apotex due to the sale of a family business. overnight condolences poured in. all of us our deeply saddened by this news. barry and honey were kind good people who will be missed.

the contributions they have made to toronto put them in a class of their own. and from prime minister justin trudeau, our condolences to their family and friends and to everyone touched by their vision and spirit. this morning the shermans are being remembered not only for their contributions in health care but also their generosity quoted as saying we are fortunate in being able to contribute. you can't take it with you so the best alternative is to put it to good use while you are here. police are expected to release more information later today after a medical exam. they have said they are not looking for suspects at this time. >> morgan, thank you. let's go to dylan. she's outside on the plaza with another check on the weather. it's cold outside this morning. >> it is chilly, but it's december so i guess we all kind of expect it at this point. let's take a look at what's going on out west where the fire dangero danger is going to be pretty dangerous. those winds are not coming off the water. it's a land breeze that's going

to keep things very dry. we have 17 million people at risk extending all the way up from sacramento in san francisco down to san diego. we are looking at higher winds and very low you had mhumidity. winds could gust up near 60 miles per hour and that could cause fires to spread very rapidly w it good morning. i'm "nbc10 news today" first alert chief meteorologist tammie souza. just what you need to know today, the sun will return. and it's going to be an ugly shoe day. why? this morning it's going to be icy and slippery. temperatures well below freezing. but this afternoon we get above freezing, snow will melt, it's going to be slushy and messy out there. tonight, we go below freezing again. everything will refreeze. you're going to need to have those shoes and puffy coat so you can get around. tomorrow partly sunny, we'll see 40s and more melting. have yourself a great day. skpnch

and that's your latest forecast. we determined to make this holiday special for those in need. we are joined by learning resources senior project development manager to talk about his company's generous donation. tom, good morning. first of all, i like this little guy. >> christmas time in new york, we light them up like little christmas tree. learning resources so honored to be back here in new york as part of "the today show" toy drive with a donation of $175,000. >> that should be cheered. that's amazing. >> in educational toys that will inspire a love of learning in children which is really our mission. >> why are educational toys, stem toys, so important to introduce children? >> stem and code suggest really the language of today and the language of future. it's where the jobs are going to be, where the future engineers and doctors are going to come from. more importantly right now introducing children to sftem ad coding is because building early stem skills opens a world of

creative thinking, of problem solving, of innovation. the future children that are going to do these great things are starting with products like this. >> as a meteorologist you can guarantee i'm getting a whole bunch of stem toys for my little 1-year-old. thank you so much for this donation. this is so huge. if touyou want to get to the to drive, you can stop by the plaza next week or donate online. >> you go to the toy stores now and they have a whole section of stem toys. just ahead, eminem drops his first album in nearly five years. he's teaming up with some of the biggest stars. we'll give you a sneak peek. also up next, an important safety reminder, when it comes safety reminder, when it comes to traveling with electronic 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. still get a refreshing any size soft drink for just one dollar at mcdonald's? with the days getting shorter and your to-do list getting longer, you'll enjoy this ice-cold deliciousness more than ever. hurry over to mcdonald's. ♪ outer layer of your enamel tooth surface. white, the thing that's really important to dentists is to make sure that that enamel stays strong and resilient for a lifetime the more that we can strengthen and re-harden that tooth surface,

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so if there's something better than warfarin, i'll go for that too. eliquis. eliquis reduced the risk of stroke better than warfarin, plus had less major bleeding than warfarin. eliquis had both. don't stop taking eliquis unless your doctor tells you to, as stopping increases your risk of having a stroke. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily... ...and it may take longer than usual for any bleeding to stop. seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. i'm still going for my best. and for eliquis. ask your doctor about eliquis. ♪

. new. new regulations about exploding batteries. before you get to travel for the holidays, we have important information about how to stay safe with all the electronics in our lives. >> already this busy holiday season another incident at a busy airport. a battery fire that of course took everyone by surprise. this by the way could happen to any one of us from phones to laptops and ecigarettes. we have all seen the dramatic explosions caught on cam ramp batteries bursting into flames seemingly out of nowhere. why is it happening and what can you do to protect yourself? we're about to show you. chaos and confusion at orlando international airport. watch as this backpack starts smoking in the middle of the busy ts align. the video showing people rushing away. luckily this tsa agent rushing in and moving the backpack safely away. >> somebody had to do it. it was me. >> authorities now say a battery

inside that backpack caught fire. and we've seen it before. case after case. batteries violate battery violently exploding. watch this man when his pocket burst into flames. the spare battery of his ecigarette erupting. this man in california riding the bus in wh ten the battery inside his ecigarette. the culprit, lithium ion batteries, the same kind that have caused fires in hover boards, samsung smartphones and laptops. how dangerous can these explosions be? to find out we've been granted rare access here at underwriters laboratory in chicago, better known as u.l. we're inside the special battery testing lab. you're about to see for the first time what it really looks like up close when these batteries explode. first up the crush test.

can the battery stand the heavy force? you see the flames there. >> did you realize you had that much energy your pocket. >> then comes the overcharging test. >> we're deliberately overcharging which is something you can do if you use the wrong charger. >> within minutes you can see the heat and pressure building, our battery puffing up and then -- >> that frightened me and i knew it was coming. >> watch it again in slow motion. a powerful explosion and fire ball. >> so what should consumers do to avoid this from happening? >> follow the instructions that the manufacturers gives them. use the proper charger. >> simple tips to prevent this from happening to you. and just this month, american and daelta are among the airlins to restrict smart luggage. those are the suitcases that have tracking devices or allow you to charge their cell phone. some of them motor propel themselves so you don't have to push or drag.

here's the problem. the battery inside the suitcases could pose the same risk so the airlines will evaluate them. if the battery cannot be removed the bag will not be checked. we have details on today.com. >> a good report. a whole new host of challenges with electronics. dylan, what's coming up next? >> if you've got annoying friends on facebook, we've got a way for you to keep your sanit how can you make your hair even stronger? use pantene shampoo together with 3 minute miracle daily

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virtual reality-all virtually useless without a new computer. all i see is darkness. give intel 8th gen core to power all the latest tech. ( ♪ ) 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. giveshop early to save big! kohl's super saturday! and get kohl's cash! present for them, kohl's cash for you! give joy with a sweater for her a star wars toy or a diamond bracelet plus take an extra 20% off when you spend $100 or more! give joy, get joy at kohl's. this this this this is my body of proof.

proof of less joint pain and clearer skin. this is my body of proof that i can take on psoriatic arthritis with humira. humira works by targeting and helping to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to both joint and skin symptoms. it's proven to help relieve pain, stop further joint damage, and clear skin in many adults. humira is the #1 prescribed biologic for psoriatic arthritis. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. want more proof? ask your rheumatologist about humira. what's your body of proof? one last show together. who's with me?

hell yeah! becca. what are you doing? [ cheering ] [ whimpers ] if you cry, i'm gonna cry. [ drums beating ] don't make that face. this is my regular face. ♪ freedom pitch perfect 3. rated pg-13. back now on a saturday mo g morning with a new facebook feature. >> if you've ever wanted to take a break from some of your friends without complete blocking or defriending them, now you can. dylan, you're in the orange room to explain. >> this new feature is called snooze. it gives you the option to hide a person, page or group for 30 days without having to go in and unfollow or unfriend them. so think of it as a temporary mute button. even better, the people you snooze will not be notified and you can reverse it at any time. here's why this all happened.

facebook launched this feature the same day they released an interesting study into whether social media is good or bad for our well-being. their research found that in general people tend to feel worse when they spend a lot of time pass civively consuming information. meaning you're reading, not actually interacting. on the flip side, actively interacting with people is said to bring about a better feeling. so that means commenting on posts, reminiscing about past interactions, all that kind of stuff. that actually gives you a better feeling about how you use technology. so the new snooze feature is in response to all that research. it's aimed at supporting users well-being and giving people more control over their news feed. so i guess they're all trying to make people feel good. >> i wonder with the real life sn snooze button, can you keep snoozing? >> i think so. so they don't know that you're snoozing them, but will it look like you're not responding?

>> well, if you never respond anyway. >> there are so many people on facebook, i don't even know half the people i'm friends with. >> would you snooze me? >> i wouldn't snooze you. what make the holidays so special? how does celebrations we had as children turn into celebrations for our children? 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.

still ahead the most sweeping changes to the tax code sweeping changes to the tax code are becoming a reality jack and jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. all because of a burst water pipe in their house that ruined the hardwood floors in their kitchen. luckily the geico insurance agency had helped them with homeowners insurance and the inside of their house was repaired and floors replaced. jack and jill no longer have to fetch water. they now fetch sugar-free vanilla lattes

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good morning. i'm rosemary connors. it's just a few minutes before 8:00 on this saturday. as you get up, get out the door, you'll find that it's going to be a little slick out there this morning. the storm that dumped snow on our area yesterday could cause some problems, but we are talking about a warmup. yes, a temperature rebound. chief meteorologist tammie souza tracking it all in the first alert neighborhood forecast. tammie. >> the sun is up and it's actually a pretty start to the day, but it is still very, very cold. everybody was below freezing this morning. still 25 in philadelphia. let's check the neighborhoods. we're going to slowly climb above the freezing mark, but not until later this morning. it's 25 right now in allentown. 21 coatesville. 26 in wilmington. 24 for you in dover. vineland up to 22. we were in the teens this morning.

23 in atlantic city. at the freezing mark in wildwood, 32 there. and 22 in trenton. again, we'll see plenty of sunshine out there today. and we will see those temperatures above freezing, so i call it an ugly shoe day because we're going to have quite a bit of melting and slushy stuff out there. 39 in philadelphia, 38 for the suburbs and lehigh valley. 41 new jersey. low 40s for the jersey shore and delaware. rosemary. >> thanks, tammie. just in time for the holidays, police in our region are looking for a thief who's on a credit card stealing spree. police want you to take a good look at this man. he was last seen lurking in a king of prussia office building on tuesday. investigators tell us he snatches credit cards from purses and wallets off people's desks and then quickly runs up big charges before victims even know their money's gone. anybody with information on this case is asked to call upper merion township police. i'm rosemary connors. we'll see you right back here at 8:30 for a full hour of news and weather. remember, you can always get the latest news, weather and traffic with the nbc10 app. now back to the "today" show. have a good one.

good morning. american revolution. house and senate republicans reach a deal on the big gest revision to the tax codes in decades and it will affect every american. some big winners and losers with the new bill which would be the first big legislative victory for the president. we're live with what it all means for you. miss tiysterious deaths. police in canada investigating after a billionaire and his wife are found dead in their home overnight. neighbors in shock as police call the deaths suspicious. and tis the season. we're celebrating the longstanding traditions that have shaped our memories every christmas. saturday, december 16th, 2017.

good morning. where you from? who do you want to say hi to? >> we're from dallas texas. we want to say hey to everybody back at home and hello to all my brother k brothers and sisters in the military. >> i'm 50 and my husband surprised me with a trip to new york city. >> hi, mom, we're on tv. >> hi bob. >> happy birthday, shelby, from new york city. >> hi, grandma from "the today show." >> you got a family trip. who are you missing? >> mom. >> where is she? >> she's sleeping. >> wake up, mom. [ cheers and applause ] good morning. welcome back to "today" on this saturday morning. >> this is a fun bunch. >> i love the holiday crowds. >> a lot of birthdays. they made some great signs. thank you guys all so much for stopping by. happy holidays to you. happy holidays to you as well. we've got to a lot to get to

this morning in our final half an hour. let's start with today's news. >> reporter: good morning. i'm kelly o'donnell at the white house where president trump are trazi tr praising gop lawmakers with a bill to cut taxes. with enough votes to pass lined up, the changes will affect what you owe and what you can deduct on your tax return for individuals and new breaks for corporations. longing for a holiday win, the president gamed out chances for his promised tax cuts. >> i think that we are going to be in a position to pass something as early as next week. >> reporter: with newly announced yes votes from republican senators marco rubio and bob corker. a draft that includes lowering the corporate tax rate to 21%. setting lower tax rate brackets for individuals. roughly doubling the standard

deduction many families claim. and in a blow to obamacare, the tax bill ends the insurance mandate. this expected legislative victory tempered by the president's frustrations over the russia probe. >> they're spending millions and millions of dollars. there is absolutely no collusion. >> reporter: president trump turned his ire toward the fbi. after it was disclosed a top agent was removed from the special counsel investigation last summer because of anti-trump text messages sent during the 2016 campaign. >> well, it's a shame what's happened with the fbi, but we're going to rebuild the fbi. it will be bigger and better than ever. >> reporter: that criticism came as the president headed to the fbi academy at quanti. >> you see the fake news back there. look, everybody. fake news. no. actually, some of them are fine

people. >> reporter: on the tax bill democrats argued the biggest benefits go to the wealthy so republicans are trying to persuade voters that the middle class will save. they claim a family of four with an income of $73,000 will save $2,000 a year in taxes. let's take a look now at some of the other stories making headlines this saturday. the weather is working against those firefighters battling massive wildfires in southern california. 30 to 40 miles per hour winds are expected to drive the thomas fire dangerously close to hundreds of homes today. more than 900 homes have already been destroyed in the 12 days that the massive blaze has burned in ventura and santa barbara counties. >> anita hill who raised issues of sexual harassment during the 1991 confirmation hearings of supreme court justice clarence thomas will head a new commission to deal with sexual assault in the entertainment entry. peter jackson is accusing harvey

weinstein's company of black lists actresses. ashl both actresses accused weinstein and he denied the allegations. in the sports world the nfl carolina panthers are investigating their owner for allegations of workplace misconduct. a park is closed to swimmers after multiple animal attacks. posted officials of the closure after a man was bitten on the leg by a sea lion. another was hospitalized after being bitten on the arm the day before. >> in a galaxy far, far away "star wars" is making its opening weekends. thousands are lining up for the show. it's expected to take in more than $200 million this weekend alone. a bitter sweet moment for fans of the 40-year-old franchise.

carrie fisher appears for the last time. she died of cardiac arrest a year ago. >> you said that you heard her performance was -- >> i heard it was absolutely fantastic. we talked to steve patterson. his eyes just opened. >> this might be good enough to you get you there. >> i think i might go. maybe i'll start from the beginning. how long would it take you. >> it would take you, like, two days. dylan dreyer is on the plaza. your husband saw the movie last night too, right? >> he went last night. he woke me up when he got home to say it was awesome. i need to go see it now. let's take a look at this little girl on the plaza. how are you? you're turning 9 years old. not so little. >> is it true you rode a bus here? >> yeah. >> prosecute why? -- >> from where? >> ohio. >> how long is that? >> eight hours. >> let's take a look at what's

going on across the country. we'll see some warmer temperatures than average. highs running about 15 to 20 degrees about average. 60 degrees in kansas city. des moines about 53 degrees. on sunday that warmth is going to start to spread eastward. chicago should get up to 42. fargo 35 which is actually 14 degrees about average. then as we go through the rest of the week we are looking at temperatures to mainly be in the 40s and 50s. it is finally going to warm up because it is awfully chilly out here right good morning. i'm nbc10 first alert meteorologist tammie souza. here's what you need to know today. the sun will return. and it's going to be an ugly shoe day. why? this morning it's going to be icy and slippery. temperatures well below freezing. but this afternoon we get above freezing, the snow will melt. it's going to be slushy and messy out there. tonight, below freezing again, everything will refreeze. you're going to need to have those shoes and puffy coat so you can get around.

tomorrow, we're going to be partly sunny, we'll see 40s and, yes, more melting. have yourself a great day. i've got to ask, who's freezing out here? unanimous. we're always freezing. >> they said it with a smile, though. who's freezing? me. >> come on back. still to come, here's a question. have you ever cheated on your spouse by watching your favorite netflix show without them? why some people just can't wait to watch the show together. also justin timberlake revealing his secret to a successful and long lasting marriage. that's right after these messages. my experience with usaa has been excellent. they always refer to me as master sergeant. they really appreciate the military family, and it really shows. we've got auto insurance, homeowners insurance. had an accident with a vehicle, i actually called usaa before we called the police. usaa was there hands-on very quick very prompt. i feel like we're being handled as people that actually have a genuine need.

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woman: i had really hit a brick wall with victoria. i took her in and had her tested for learning disabilities and they said "she's fine, she's just not interested." (mouse click) when we started abcmouse i thought of it more as a toy, then i started playing around with it myself, i'm like, "wait a minute, this has got a lot more to it than i thought it did." i could see her being able to recognize letters, to writing her name on the chalkboard. and now she's reading. i feel from the bottom of my heart like abcmouse has blessed our family.

we are back on a saturday morning and it is time to trend. shall we? >>. >> you didn't do your trend dance. >> that's right. >> there you go. >> do you and your spouse have a list of must watch shows you that only turn on when you're together? did you are cheat? tell the truth, just a little and watch an episode without them. they've listed a list of must watch shows. the shows that were so juicy you had to jump ahead. take a look at the top five. mind bending since eight. "orange is the new black." second place "13 reasons why" the number one show people watch ahead of their partners -- >> theerz tse are the ones they

cheat. "narcos" the. >> only one i cheated on was "ozark." >> i go to bed at 8:00 at night and brian stays up past midnight and he gets to watch all the shows i don't get to watch. >> it was this time last year, "the crown" my husband came in and i was already in. >> the show that my wife would leave me if i watched "this is us." >> i found this out in the commercial break. you watch sometimes with the closed captioning on. >> sometimes? >> that's all i do. not just movies. i just said i watched "seinfeld" with close captioning. >> you know that's not normal

behavior. >> i can't process things when i don't read them. i need to see something to be able to process. otherwise it's in one ear, out the other. >> every week, stranger and stranger. >> i do think that's normal. my husband is the same way. which is why i don't watch with him. sometimes it's annoying. let's get to pop start. the me too movement is making its way to the red carpet. there's a paper on the prompter. i can't read it. if we could just move that. people magazine reports some "a" list actresses are planning to ditch their gowns in favor of an all black look. the effort is said to be a symbol of protest against sexual harassment in hollywood. dozens of actresses have spoken out about the issue since "the new york times" published its bombshell report back in october detailing allegations against famed producer harvey weinstein. the actresses have not net been

confirmed. we'll what happens. up next eminem's long awaited album is finally here. the ninth album dropped on friday. it features collaborations with beyonce, ed sheeran, alicia keys. and expressing regret that daughter haley had to witness their fights. justin timberlake is sharing his secret to a happy marriage. surprisingly it's pretty old school. he was asked how he keeps his marriage to jessica biel so strong. he says his rule is even when you get married, you have to keep dating. each other. the difference comes when you have kids to actually schedule the date. when you say you're going out at 6:30, you need to go out at 6:30. they just celebrated their fifth anniversary. >> that's good advice.

i agree with that. connect, redekindle. >> and have a conversation without. { whining } >> is that what they do when they get older? my little guy just pops in between us. >> we share our fondest memories.

we are back on a saturday morning. with christmas just nine days away, a lot of folks are putting finishing touches on their holiday plans. >> every family has traditions and we wanted to take some time to share some of the things that make the holidays special to us. >> holidays in the dryer household were traditional. we'd wake up my dad and then

he'd have the whole getting ready thing to do. he forced us to stay on the stairs until he came down. my brothers and i would creep down a step, creep down a step. even when we'd come back from college, when my brothers were married, we would all pile on to the stairs and sit and wait. christmas morning never changed no matter how old we got. >> i did believe in santa. usually the letters i would write to san ta, were appeal letters, because i knew that santa probably had heard that perhaps i had not been the best that year. so i would use the letters as an opportunity to make my case. >> every year my grandmother would give my sister and i $50 apiece. sometimes $100. we would go to woolworth. it was like a five and dime store. we would write out all the people we would get gifts and we would have to budget. then she would set out the wrapping paper and the scissors and we'd wrap all the gifts.

that was all part of it. i was just as excited to watch everybody open the gifts that i purchased as i was to receive the gifts. >> we always had a real christmas tree growing up. we'd go to a farm down the street from us. my dad would have his axe. he'd chop down the tree. we'd bring it back home. >> i remember one year we had a real tree. i remember as a kid going why does the house smell. then i was allergic to everything under the sun and i was itching. we didn't have a real tree after that. >> i remember a couple years where we had to plead with our mother to take the tree down. it was like valentine's day. it was one of those things where it was warm outside and people would drive by. mom kept the tree up for a very long time. >> i really wanted a cabbage patch doll when they were really hard to get. i still have the cabbage patch. in fact, when i got married, my

grandmother told me that i had to put it away. my grandmother was, like, it's time to put lilly away. >> there was a box under the tree in the shape of a pound puppy. i knew it was a pound puppy under the tree and i couldn't contain myself. the week before christmas i, like, poked a hole. just to see if it's actually a pound puppy. and it was a pound puppy. and i was so excited. but i remember even at that age thinking oh my god, i'm so excited. oh no, how am i going to cover the hole? >> the year i got a chalkboard was probably the best christmas ever. that meant i could go in my room and i could play school by myself for hours. i would lock myself in my room and just write on the chalkboard. it was the best. >> merry christmas, dylan dreyer. >> we got something for you. >> i have a chalkboard. and chalk. >> and you continue to surprise

me with your dorkdom. >> why am i the only one with a gift? all of us wanted normal toys. and you wanted a chalkboard. do we have chalk? >> yes, we have chalk right here. >> i used to play school. >> there you go. >> who were your students? >> they were all imaginary students. >> remember this, this chalk -- it's fine. you'd go like this and you'd write the letters. >> so that's what you did for hours. >> oh, it was so fun. >> this also explains why you watch closed captioning on all of your movies. >> so i'm a nerd. >> it all makes sense now. >> to all the nerds out there, merry christmas. >> this could be you. >> merry christmas. >> i remember pound puppies. >> cabbage patch dolls, they had that smell like baby powder. >> moms were pushing. you would see news stories where people were trying to get those

dolls. that was fun showing down memory lane. that will do it for us on this saturday morning. tomorrow with the "star wars" now in theaters, willie sits down with kylo ren himself adam driver. what he says about playing the copd makes it hard to breathe. so to breathe better, i go with anoro. ♪go your own way copd tries to say, "go this way." i say, "i'll go my own way" with anoro. ♪go your own way once-daily anoro contains two medicines called bronchodilators, that work together to significantly improve lung function all day and all night. anoro is not for asthma . it contains a type of medicine that increases risk of death in people with asthma. the risk is unknown in copd. anoro won't replace rescue inhalers for sudden symptoms and should not be used more than once a day. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, glaucoma, prostate, bladder,

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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. good morning. i'm rosemary connors. >> and i'm dray clark. just ahead on "nbc10 news today," many local roads are an icy slippery mess this morning after yesterday's snow. when will it all have a chance to melt, tammie? >> we've got to get above freezing. right now we're still below freezing across much of the area

but we'll see melting later today. i'll time it out in your neighborhoods. and credit cards stolen, local police say a thief swiped office workers plastic and racked up big bills before the victims know they've been scammed. and if you have old unpaid parking tickets in the city of philadelphia, you may soon catch a break. we'll explain coming up. those stories and much more coming up on "nbc10 news today" at 8:30. 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.

right now on "nbc10 news today," icy start. yesterday's snow has left behind some slick, maybe treacherous conditions this morning. when the melting will begin next in the first alert forecast. stolen credit cards. police are looking for a man they say strikes at local office buildings and then spends other people's money at the mall. the gop tax bill gets a big boost as two more senators announce they will support the plan. the new rules regarding you and your deductions if it passes.

looking good out there. we'll take it, right? >> absolutely. >> good morning. this is "nbc10 news today." i'm rosemary connors. >> and i'm dray clark. just about 8:30 on this saturday morning. cape may, new jersey, where people are waking up to snowy, icy streets after yesterday's coastal storm. but will the snow remain all weekend or will it melt by monday? >> we get those answers from chief meteorologist tammie souza. she has the most accurate forecast in the region. tammie. >> we're watching, yes, much of this snow will melt, especially on the pavements, sidewalks. if it's in the shady area harder to do that, but looks today we'll go above freezing. not there yet, beautiful sunrise we saw this morning but you can see we have a lot of cleanup to do and temperatures not so great. it is at the freezing mark in ocean city. feels like 25. we have the winds out of the west and southwest. i call them the snow eaters because it's going to bring the warmer air into the area. 26 right now wilmington. 17 is the feels like. let's go to philadelphia. it is 25 and it feels like 15.